Commoner Club
by Artemis Day
Summary: AU: An emergency situation sends Tamaki Suoh into hiding just weeks after his arrival in Japan. Now alone with a different name and face, he must learn to live as a regular middle class citizen. Maybe that one cute bookworm can help him cope. TamaHaru.
1. Welcoming Club

**First chapter of my new Ouran fic! This is one I've been wanting to do for a while, so as you can probably imagine, I'm pretty exicited. XD**

**The first few chapters are already written out, so this'll likely be updated once or twice a week, depending on how everything goes and how long it takes me to edit each chapter. Also so there is no confusion, all the _bolded and italicized_ parts are Tamaki's inner monologue. That'll pop up throughout the story.**

**So that's all I have to say for now. I hope you enjoy the first part of Commoner Club!**

**PS: Don't expect chapters to be this long again. I'm pretty sure this was a fluke.**

* * *

><p>"Suoh-san, are you ready?"<p>

"…"

"Suoh-san?"

"Y-yes, sorry. I'm ready."

"Alright, show me how to properly put in the magazine."

"Right, okay…"

…

"How's that?"

"Almost, but it's backwards."

"Oh… sorry."

"Don't be, just try again Suoh-san."

…

"Very good, now let's practice aiming."

"Yes, sir…"

* * *

><p><strong><em>I have this reoccurring dream that I'm in a field. An empty field similar to the ones I used to play in as a boy, only those fields were covered in healthy green grass and beautiful flowers, a cool breeze would blow in my face while the sun shone down on me.<em>**

_**This field is completely bare, and the air around me is stale and hard.**_

_**I don't really do anything, just stand there looking straight ahead, listening for any kind of sound and finding none.**_

_**Whenever I have that dream, I wake up in a cold sweat. I need several minutes to calm myself down before I stumble to the bathroom and splash some water on my face. When I'm done, I turn around and straighten up. In that order. I make sure never to look at my face in the mirror, because it's no longer my face.**_

_**Katsuo-san tells me I'm overreacting. 'It's for your own good,' he says. He just doesn't understand how I feel when I look in the mirror and see my blonde hair stained with black, or the brown color contacts covering my violet eyes.**_

_**I don't look like myself.**_

_**I don't FEEL like myself.**_

_**And the worst part is that that's the whole point!**_

_**Oh yes, I should probably introduce myself, though to be honest, I'm not really sure what name to give you.**_

_**Up until one month ago, I was Rene Tamaki Richard Grantaine, or Tamaki Suoh, son of Yuzuru Suoh and potential heir to the Suoh Empire.**_

_**Today, and for the foreseeable future, I am Tamaki Okada. Just a middle class commoner about to start his first day at public school. I wish I could feel more excited about this.**_

_**Instead, I just feel sick.**_

* * *

><p>There were a variety of sounds gently assaulting Tamaki's ears as he sat heavily on the wooden, un-cushioned bench outside the Principal's office.<p>

Birds were chirping loud outside the cracked open window; the voices of his soon-to-be fellow students blended into a murmuring mesh down the hall to his left; descending footsteps came from his right; behind him, the Principal was on the phone discussing the rescheduled budget meeting; Tamaki himself hadn't made a sound since he'd been told to sit down and wait for his guide to arrive.

He shifted around, hoping that maybe if he got into a certain position, the ache he'd developed from this hardwood bench would start to fade. How did commoners sit like this anyway?

He'd have to learn that and much, much more fast, considering he was a commoner now, be it all just an act or not.

In some ways, the whole situation was kind of funny, as Tamaki had always been curious about the lives of those less well off than him. He grew up eating only the finest foods prepared by world famous chefs. His clothing was tailor made by top designers hand picked by his mother. He attended the finest private school in France taught by the finest professors in all manner of subject. Everything was available to him, it was like the whole world was at his beck and call.

So what about the rest of the world? The vast majority who had to work for their money and make their own meals and buy clothes from thrift stores and go to plain old public schools? What kind of lives did they lead?

It wasn't an unreasonable thing for him to wonder. After all, it's human nature to be curious, especially about the things we don't understand. Tamaki had wanted from a young age to understand commoners.

Now here he was, finally getting that chance, but not nearly in the way he'd hoped.

Tamaki briefly looked up, his eyes found the reflective glass of the window and he immediately dropped them. He had that reaction every time he saw his beautiful hair tarnished by inky black hair dye. His contact covered eyes were no better, a dull brown not unlike the vast majority of Japan's population.

His face remained the same, but the features that once complimented it hadn't. He looked so… ordinary. So much less handsome than he truly was.

"You have to blend in," Katsuo-san had informed Tamaki the day he dragged him kicking and screaming to the hair dresser. "We've managed to erase all the photos of you that we could, however they _do_ know your name and could very easily find you with only that. It is imperative that you remain inconspicuous, Suoh-san, and that means the blonde hair has to go."

He'd been so blunt about it, so unsympathetic. Tamaki hadn't known Katsuo-san for long, but already he had the distinct impression that the thirty something year old man had forgotten how to smile at some point in his early years.

Tamaki sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the thickly coated strands and shuddering. When he was done, Tamaki slammed his hand back down on the bench and stood up straight, eyes closed so he wasn't at risk of seeing the window again.

_'Alright,'_ he said to himself. _'This is all going to work out. Father and Grandmother will have everything back under control before the week is out. Until then, I just have to make the best of things. I've always wanted to see how commoners live, now I can get some first hand experience.'_

He gave another sigh, this one resolute and hopefully the last to leave his lips.

_'I can do this, I can live as a commoner. It's not like I'm alone, Katsuo-san and Sekigawa-san are with me and maybe I'll even make some friends here. As long as they don't find out who I really am…'_

Tamaki opened his eyes. Part of his new resolve was that he would finally find the strength to look at his disguised self with no fear or resentment. He kept his gaze locked on the faint image of himself, of his black hair and his brown eyes.

His large, feminine brown eyes.

Wait, those weren't his eyes.

Tamaki blinked, suddenly aware of the person standing on the opposite side of the window. He remained completely still, captivated by the vision of her eyes attached to an oval shaped face framed by long, hime cut brown hair. Though he was seated, he could tell he towered over her, their eyes were practically level as it was. Her standard, school issue Sailor Fuku betrayed a delicate, thin body lacking even a hint of curves. Somehow, that worked for her rather than against.

In short, the girl was absolutely adorable. Beautiful, even.

Tamaki had seen many beautiful women during his time in France. Tall, high class women ranging from busty to lithe, but none of them ever got his attention like this one. She blinked once, giving off an air of innocence and confusion that only served to make her cuter. Their eyes gazed into each other's, Tamaki felt his nerves growing again, but for a completely different reason. She tilted her head to one side, perhaps just as enamored with him as he was her.

Then she licked her index finger and rubbed it against a small stain on the glass. Presumably satisfied, the girl turned on a heel and walked away. Tamaki could only watch her go, blinking in confusion and wondering what had just happened.

A door slammed, making him jump. He turned his head to find a trio of young men chatting and laughing amiably. Tamaki watched them intently, feeling a mix of different emotions, though most of all sadness. He wondered if he'd ever have friends he could laugh with like that.

One of the reasons he'd actually been looking forward to Japan was that maybe he could find some real friends, rather than the fake ones he endured in his old school. The only real friends he'd ever had were either servants or moved away and lost touch with him after a while. It didn't sit well with the social butterfly that was Tamaki, being alone simply wasn't something he could tolerate for long.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

Tamaki started, unaware that he'd spent the last few second aimlessly staring in the boys' direction. This action, it seemed, had invoked their ire, if the glares they were shooting at him was any indication.

Tamaki felt a gasp catch in his throat and sunk back into the wall as much as he could.

"I asked you a question," the boy in the middle demanded. He was tall, taller than Tamaki even, with messy brown hair and hard brown eyes. He was a great deal more muscular as well, likely an athlete of some sort. Tamaki had no doubt that if this boy wanted to, he could crush his skull between his hands with little to no effort.

"I- I'm sorry," Tamaki's smile masked his inward struggle to maintain composure. "I was rather lost in thought and didn't realize I was staring. It wasn't my intention to bother you."

"Yeah, well you did," the boy seethed. "I don't like being stared at."

He forward threateningly while his friends gave Tamaki malicious grins. As if to say, 'you're gonna get it now.'

"Look, I'm sorry," Tamaki repeated, sweat pouring down his cheeks. "I mean it, really."

"What's going on over here?"

The three boys tensed, and the one closing in on Tamaki shoot backwards as if he'd been punched.

The new arrival stormed over, her practical shoes making soft thumps against the linoleum floor. Her own brown hair was pulled back neatly in a ponytail, not a single strand out of place. Hazel eyes were gazing into those of the young man whom Tamaki had just been threatened by, her otherwise pretty face marred by a scowl. The disguised young man felt a great deal of amazement at the sight. This boy was twice the size of the girl, and yet he seemed genuinely intimidated by her, even more so than his friends.

"Well?" the girl demanded a second time, crossing her arms over her chest.

The second and third boys glanced at the first, waiting for him to reply.

"Nothing," he said gruffly, looking away from the girl. "It's nothing Aki- …Oshiro-san. We were just introducing ourselves to the new guy, that's all."

Oshiro raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Well, Kurosawa, you, Motou and Sato here will have to wait. I'll be showing him around the school this morning."

Flipping her hair back, the girl turned up her nose to the trio, noticeably avoiding getting too close to the one called Kurosawa. His friends quickly started walking away, but Kurosawa remained long enough to take a lingering look at Oshiro, something that didn't go unnoticed by Tamaki.

Oshiro then turned to him, her angered look replaced by a warm smile as she bowed to him.

"Okada Tamaki, I presume? It's nice to meet you," she greeted him. "I'm Oshiro Akiko, I'll be showing you around today."

Tamaki blinked, his earlier fear leaving and a strange sense of calm overcoming him. He felt a smile tug at his lips, bullies may not have been something he was accustomed to (and hopefully never would be), but making conversation with a beautiful young lady? That he could do no matter how he looked.

He hoped.

"It's nice to meet you, Madm-" Tamaki stopped.

This action was met with a surprised look from Oshiro, but Tamaki was too busy straightening up and bowing low so she wouldn't she his face. He couldn't believe he'd almost slipped up like that. Hopefully, Oshiro wouldn't notice.

"I'm very happy to be here," he said fast as if believing it would cover up his error.

"Uh- well, we're very happy to have you," the somewhat flustered sounding Oshiro answered.

Tamaki smiled in response, even though his mind was once again being violently assaulted by Katsuo-san's very unforgiving voice.

"You cannot do anything that would even remotely identify you as foreign. You must not speak a word of French, understand? Also, try not to have any elaborate conversations with anyone just yet. Your Japanese is improving but it still needs a great deal of work. Now, go over your verbs again and do not waste Sekigawa-san's time."

Tamaki shivered involuntarily. He was like a drill sergeant, that Katsuo-san.

* * *

><p>They walked though the halls side by side, passing the cafeteria and the gymnasium along the way. Oshiro spent most of this time going over the finer points of the school, and Tamaki listened intently. The starry eyed boy who was so curious about commoners was starting to emerge.<p>

"Genpaku Junior High really is a great school," Oshiro raised a hand, waving straight ahead as a general statement. "It's not the most wealthy and to be honest, the lighting kind of sucks, but we've also got one of the best Football teams in Tokyo. There's also baseball, swimming, I'm in track myself."

"That sounds nice," Tamaki interrupted as gently as he could. "But I'm not really into sports."

Oshiro looked deflated for moment, but perked back up surprisingly quick.

"It's okay, we have a decent Arts and Music program too if that's more your thing."

Tamaki nodded, his fingers twitching instinctively as he imagined himself in front of his favorite grand piano, where he'd spent countless hours going over scales and disjointed tunes until he felt like his hands would fall off. How he'd loved that piano.

The piano he left back in France.

He felt his stomach do an unpleasant twist and he stifled a sigh that built up in his throat.

Not wanting to dwell on such frivolities, Tamaki turned his attention elsewhere, but that proved to be something of a mistake when he tuned into a conversation held by two more students close by.

"…completely bankrupt. Of course, that's just a rumor. The company's been very secretive, locking down all major databases until 'further notice' as they say."

"So where do you think they are now?"

"The Suoh's? Probably in hiding or something. I know I wouldn't want to show my face in public if I were them."

The two girls chuckled while Tamaki clenched a fist and bit down on his lip. Their voices faded away, but it was still a few seconds before he came out of it and noticed Oshiro a good five feet ahead of him. Tamaki started and walked quickly to catch up, getting the tail end of what she was currently saying.

"…You and I are in Class 3. I'm the current Representative, which is why they sent me to be your guide."

Oshiro stopped and pointed at a door just up ahead.

"That's our homeroom right there. Come on, the bell is going to ring in a minute."

Tamaki nodded, but that was all. He would've liked to give his gracious guide a smile and charm her into oblivion like he did every other girl or woman he ever encountered, but all of a sudden, he could think of nothing besides the fact that today was his first day of school.

New school.

Commoner school.

Perhaps it hadn't fully hit him until just then, but the weight of this realization made his insides shake with nervousness.

_'Calm down,'_ his inner voice all but shouted. _'Don't be so scared. This is no different than Ouran would have been. Aside from the different location and the constricting hallways and the itchy material they made this uniform with and the awful smell in the bathroom, this is absolutely no different.'_

Oshiro opened the door, signaling with a nod for Tamaki to follow. Tamaki closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again as he stepped inside.

_'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.'_

The homeroom teacher, a woman with a young face and cropped black hair, glanced up when they arrived, her face breaking out in a grin as she called the class to attention and motioned for Tamaki to come stand next to her.

He took three big strides to reach her, afraid that if he didn't do it quickly, he'd lose his nerve and run.

"Alright class, as you all know, a new student will be joining us today," the teacher announced, patting Tamaki on the shoulder. "This is Okada Tamaki, who comes to us from Hokkaido. Okada, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?"

At her words, all twenty four pairs of eyes went to Tamaki. Oshiro, who had taken her seat in the front row, gave him an encouraging smile, as if sensing his fears.

_'Okay, here it comes,'_ Tamaki told himself. _'You know the cover story, so just relax.'_

"Hello," he slowly, perhaps a bit too much so. "My name is Tamaki, I'm from Hokkaido…"

_'Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.'_

"I moved here with my parents for my father's new job. I hope to be great friends with all of you."

He heard a snort, followed by laughter. Tamaki's eyes went to the spot he'd heard them and his insides froze. Kurosawa, the angry young man from before, sat flanked by Sato and Mutou in the back row. All three of them were shooting rather unnerving smiles his way. Tamaki swallowed, a miserable feeling rising within him. How great, only his first day and already he'd made enemies.

His shoulders slumped and his head hung low, Tamaki shuffled to the desk the teacher pointed out to him. It was directly behind Oshiro, which meant at least one thing was going for him. Who knows, he could have had to sit with Kurosawa and his friends. Tamaki shivered involuntarily. As he sat down, he noticed Oshiro with her head down and heard the audible scritch-scratching of the girl's pen before she abruptly sat up.

The Class Representative then lifted her arms up high and gave an over the top yawn while simultaneously dropping a wad of paper on Tamaki's desk. He stared awkwardly at it for a few seconds before a light bulb went off in his head and excitement pooled in his stomach.

_'Oh, I know what this is! Commoners like to pass notes in school as a form of rebellion against the oppressive educational system! Only my first day, and already I'm including in the resistance. I feel so accepted!'_

Figurative tears gushed from Tamaki's eyes as he opened the note, taking extra care not to rip any corners. Once he'd flattened it completely, his eager eyes greedily drank in the contents.

**Don't be scared, Okada-kun. You'll get the hang of things faster than you know. Remember, if you need any help, you can always come to me.**

Tamaki literally cried this time, much to the bafflement of the students on either side of him. Such a wonderful friend Tamaki had found and on his first day even! Drying his tears, Tamaki read the last part of Oshiro's note.

**Don't worry about Kurosawa or his meathead friends either. They talk tough, but there's no bite behind it. Believe me, they are no representation of the student body. Most of the people here are really very nice.**

The brunette girl from before came to his mind again and her adorable face and cute uniform. Tamaki had no idea why he was thinking of her so much, she wasn't in his class and there was no guarantee he'd ever see her again. Plus, who knows if she's really one of the 'nice people' Oshiro mentioned. She could be an awful, selfish person who'd look down on him and sneer at his appearance for all he knew.

_'No,'_ his mind firmly stated. _'She's not like that. No one with a face like hers could be a bad person. She's just too cute for it.'_

Tamaki barely paid attention to the first half of the lecture, which would come back to bite him later when Sekigawa-san drilled him on what he learned that day. For now, he filled his mind with that girl's face and wondered what her name was and when (not if, when) he would ever see her again.

Around ten minutes before the bell was to ring, the door opened with a whine that got everyone's attention, even the day-dreaming Tamaki. When he saw the newcomer, the crash his train of though went through was the stuff of legends.

It was her.

There she was! Brown hair, brown eyes, adorable face. This was the window girl, she was here!

"Excuse me," she spoke. Tamaki felt like he could melt, she had the sweetest speaking voice. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I was asked to deliver a note to you, Yuiko-sensei."

The teacher accepted the held out slip of paper and dismissed the girl with a small smile and a wave of her hand. Tamaki's eyes moved in time with her steps, and lingered on the door long after her long brown hair whipped out of sight.

The rest of the class went by in a blur, Tamaki simply could not stop thinking about that girl. He only wished he had a name to attach to her face, unfortunately his knowledge of Japanese names was a bit limited. He couldn't think of a single one that would suit her.

"Hey, Oshiro?" He asked while sitting with her and a few of her friends for lunch (pork flavored ramen noodles, he'd always wanted to try those). "That girl that was here before? You know, the messenger girl?"

Oshiro looked up from her Onigiri, momentarily blinking before her eyes went alight with recognition.

"Oh, you mean Fujioka? What about her?"

"Fujioka…" Tamaki repeated to himself. He noted what an odd name that was and then remembered that the Japanese often addressed each other by last names.

His return to dreamland came to a halt when he realized Oshiro, along with her two friends, were waiting for his response and giving him odd looks, likely due to the stupid grin on his face.

"Oh, I- uh-" Tamaki scrambled to pick up the fallen shards of his composure. "I was curious, that's all."

This seemed to satisfy Oshiro, but not so much her two friends. The girls, who had introduced themselves as 'Konimi' and 'Shiba' gave each other devious aside glances, small smiles forming on their faces that made Tamaki nervous.

"You wouldn't happen to have a thing for her, would you, Okada-kun?" Shiba said in a teasing voice.

Tamaki blinked, then remembered they were addressing him and went right back into 'Panic Mode.'

"No, no," he vehemently denied. "I told you, I was just curious."

"Well, what other reason would you have to be curious?" Konimi remarked, bringing ramen filled chopsticks to her mouth. "In any case, let me offer you a little advice."

Tamaki had to flinch with every word Konimi said as little bits of half-chewed ramen flew out of her mouth every time she opened it to speak. Thankfully, none of them touched him, but some came very, very close. He still felt rising levels of nausea; he'd never seen a pretty girl do something that made her look so ugly.

If she weren't a commoner, she'd have been reprimanded for this over a hundred times by her manners teacher.

Konimi paused to swallow (and Tamaki inwardly sighed in relief) before going on.

"If you're thinking of going after Haruhi Fujioka, I recommend you forget it. _Now._"

Tamaki started, taken aback by the harshness of her words and overall demeanor. If he didn't know better, he'd say Konimi had some kind of horrible grudge against Ms. Fujioka. Or maybe he'd been right before and she really wasn't as nice and cute and innocent as he'd thought.

"Misa-chan!" Shiba whined, giving her friend a gentle yet disapproving shove. "You don't have to be so negative."

"Who's being negative?" Konimi shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "Look, Okada, Fujioka is an underclassman, and she's the darling of her grade. She constantly scores at the top of her class in tests, not to mention the love confessions she gets roughly three times a month. You know how many of those she's accepted or even acknowledged?"

Tamaki shook his head, and it was the only part of him that shook voluntarily as he stared at Konimi like a small child watching a scary movie.

Konimi leaned in, her eyes narrowed like she was to tell some grave, horrible secret and her voice came out barely above a whisper.

_"None."_

Tamaki whimpered in fear, it would be some time before he came to the realization that he may have been overreacting. For their parts, Shiba was chuckling lightly through sips of grape juice while Oshiro, ever the peace maker, glared at Konimi.

"Way to be encouraging," she deadpanned.

Konimi shrugged a second time. "Just telling it like it is."

She took another, very large, bite of food followed by a swig of whatever was in her thermos before glancing at Tamaki again.

"Trust me on this, Okada. You won't get anywhere with Fujioka, so forget it."

Tamaki swallowed involuntarily and dropped his eyes down to his own, half eaten lunch. Conversation between the three girls switched to a date Shiba-san went on recently, and Tamaki effortlessly tuned them out. He slowly finished his rice, chewing methodically while that girl- that Haruhi Fujioka- remained at the center of his thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong><em>In retrospect, I'll admit it's a bit sudden for me to be so captivated by a girl I've only seen twice and never once spoken to. I could lie and say it was just the stress of my situation or some deeply suppressed side of me that desperately wanted companionship, but the truth is, I've always been a silly romantic. Blame my upbringing if you must, but there it is.<em>**

_**No matter what anyone thinks about it, I can't deny how much I want to know more about this Haruhi Fujioka. Konimi's words mean nothing, I'll decide for myself if she's right or not. I just need to find a way to get in contact with Fujioka, but how?**_

_**I get the feeling this is going to be difficult.**_

_**I wonder what she's doing right now…**_

* * *

><p>Outside in the courtyard, 2nd year students were scattered around the numerous tables and benches. They ate their lunches, chatted with friends, and enjoyed the cool breeze on their faces, dreading the moment the bell would ring, condemning them to another two hours of laborious studies. Among them was thirteen year old Haruhi Fujioka, her nose buried in an enormous history textbook, big enough to keep any hint of the outside world blocked out. This was how she could be found everyday at lunch: quietly studying and not giving any passing students a second glance.<p>

One might expect someone so anti-social to sit alone, but in truth, Haruhi was almost always at a table with those few peers who could accurately be described as her friends. Most of them were similarly quiet people, making light conversation, but mostly just enjoying each other's company. Of course, such things could not truly last without at least one person to initiate activity.

**BANG**

"Everyone! We have trouble!"

Haruhi blinked, casting a lazy eye at her manic friend standing over the table, the books she'd just slammed on it resting in a disorganized pile between her arms which supported her leaning body. Her three companions also stared, with varying levels of confusion and annoyance at the girl.

"Mei, what's wrong now?" Haruhi's one male friend sighed.

"Sorry, club business," Mei answered, waving a dismissive hand at the brown haired boy. "Anyway, Haruhi, Kasumi and Kohaku! As leader of our illustrious club, I must regretfully issue a state of emergency."

This time, Haruhi fully turned away from her book, mostly so she could raise her eyebrow at Mei more efficiently.

"Wait, you guys have a club?" The boy asked as he reached for his water filled canteen.

Mei rolled her eyes, dropping the 'leader' act and openly glaring at him. "Yes, Arai, we do. What do you think we've been doing every day after school for all these months?"

Arai shrugged. "Wasting time?"

"Exactly! And our daily two and a half hours of time wasting is at serious risk."

"How so?" asked Kasumi, her voice quivering slightly.

"I just spoke to the Vice-Principal, he says our club doesn't follow the appropriate guidelines and we're due to be shut down if we don't fix it."

"Well, what rules are we breaking?" Kohaku spoke, looking up from her newspaper.

Mei pouted, crossing her arms in a childish way as if she wanted to scream to the heavens how unfair everything was. Haruhi had to wonder how much longer it would be before her friend actually did so.

"He says we don't have enough members," the ganguro fumed. "And we need to have at least one upperclassmen in the club! How are we supposed to do that?"

"You could just join another club," was Arai's friendly suggestion. The boy then shrunk back from Mei's penetratingly angry gaze, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "You know… because we're always looking for new members in the gardening club."

"We could invite the new kid!" Kohaku piped up, both staving off Mei's anger and rescuing a grateful Arai from it's clutches.

Mei snapped her head to the side, studying the shorter girl with an analytical eyes. Slowly, her anger faded, replaced by curiosity and wonder.

"The new kid," she repeated. "You mean the one that just transferred into the grade above us? You know him?"

Kohaku shook her head. "Not me, but Akiko-chan does. They're in the same class and she was asked to show him around the campus today."

"Hmmm…" Mei was quickly returning to her 'leader' mode, standing up straighter as she did so. "You haven't seen him at all yourself?"

"I have," Kasumi piped up, raising her hand like a student in class. "I saw him and Kohaku's sister in the hallway before."

"I see," Mei said darkly.

Despite this and the professional way the ganguro carried herself, it was all ruined when she shot across the table, pulling the startled Kasumi close.

"Is he hot?" she demanded. "_Is he?_Come on, spill!"

"Uh…" Kohaku struggled to maintain her balance with Mei baring down on her. "I- I only saw him for a second. He was okay."

At this, Mei relaxed and backed off Kohaku, to her obvious relief.

"Just okay, huh?"

"Well, he was cute," Kohaku elaborated, looking thoughtful. "He'd probably look better with lighter color hair or something."

"Maybe you should offer him some of your bleach, Mei," Kasumi said jokingly, earning a scowl.

Mei grumbled something, then took a bite of her near forgotten salad before focusing her attention on the only member of her club to not participate in the discussion yet.

"Haruhi," she said, waving a head in the brunette's face. "You in there?"

Haruhi attempted to ignore her, but Mei proved persistent. Eventually, Haruhi had no choice but to lower the book and spare her friend a glance.

"If you want to invite him, go ahead."

Mei started a bit, as if surprised that Haruhi had even paid attention to what was happening around her. She managed to bounce back, declaring that they were on a hunt for the new guy. Anyone who found him was charged with immediately recruiting him into the club. As she picked her book back up and scanned the page for where she left off, Haruhi considered reminding her friend that the new kid would probably want to join a club that actually had club activities. Not to mention the possibility that he'd already found another club to join.

In the end, she kept silent.

* * *

><p>"By the way, Okada, what kind of club are you interested in joining?"<p>

The question jarred Tamaki from pleasant thoughts of getting back to his room in his temporary safe house with the lovely view from his bedroom, eating a lovely dinner prepared by Sekigawa-san and, of course, Haruhi Fujioka. He needed a moment to process what had been said to him, but not nearly as long to begin inwardly freaking out at the implications of that statement.

"Okada-kun?" Oshiro said louder.

"Yes!" Tamaki all but shouted, likely concerning his guide even further. "I mean… uh… clubs, you say?"

Oshiro relaxed at this, as if deciding Tamaki was just being quirky and not trying to hide a potentially dangerous secret regarding his true identity and the horrible crisis his family was undergoing. No need to make her suspect that.

"Didn't you read the student handbook?" She asked as they turned a corner. "All students must be part of at least one club or sports team, but can join as many as they like. For example, I'm on the track team and the drama club."

"O-oh," Tamaki could feel the color of his skin fading along with his consciousness. "I see, thank you for telling me."

Oshiro smiled. He might have found it cute were he not currently imaging all the ways Katsuo-san could freak out over this development. The whole point of being in hiding was remaining invisible, after all.

He'd have to join a club without too many obligations. Things like traveling for competitions were definitely out, so sports wasn't an option. Music? Maybe there was something where his piano skills could be used. Then again, any club like that would probably have contests and competitions too. Traveling simply wasn't an option at this time.

"So," Oshiro drove him from his thoughts yet again. "What are you interested in?"

Tamaki looked at her, his mouth hung open wordlessly. He was desperately digging around his hurried mind in search of an acceptable response, when a miracle from heaven saved him.

**RING RING**

Actually, considering his caller ID read 'Katsuo,' Tamaki couldn't really call it a miracle, much less heavenly.

"Sorry," he hastily called out to Oshiro as he took off down the hall. "I have to take this, just go on without me. I know the way out from here!"

"Are you sure?" Oshiro yelled back, but her question fell on deaf ears.

Tamaki rounded another corner, fumbling with the ringing cell phone. A wide open door slipped into his vision, and getting closer revealed a dark and empty room. Tamaki could have cried in relief, but instead just jumped through the threshold and whipped the cell phone flap open, jamming it into his ear. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and leaned against a desk.

"Good afternoon, Katsuo-san."

* * *

><p>Not a hundred feet away, Haruhi was mentally rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. The threat of their 'club' being disbanded was really getting to Mei it seemed.<p>

"Didn't ANY of you see him?" she demanded.

Kohaku and Kasumi shook their heads, but it was Haruhi's lack of attention that really got on Mei's nerves.

"And now the school day is over, who knows if he hasn't already been snatched up by some other club and-"

As usual when Mei was going off on a rant, Haruhi started to tune her out. It wasn't so much that she didn't care about what Mei had say as it was just a desire for some peace and quiet in the few hours she had before she had to get home and make dinner. Haruhi really did agree with Mei on wanting to keep the club going.

There were several ways in which Haruhi was different from her peers, most of which she wasn't completely aware off. One that she did know about, however, was that unlike a lot of her more easy-going classmates, Haruhi knew exactly where she was going in life and how she wanted to get it.

She'd decided years ago, when she was old enough to understand the full ramifications of her mother's death, that she wanted nothing more than to be a lawyer. She wanted to wear those business suits like her mother, work in a legal office like her mother, go to court and argue her case, win as many cases as she could, be every bit the attorney her mother had been and more.

To do that, she couldn't be bothered with club activities and the like, she needed all the study time she could get, and she wasn't into sports, music or art anyway. For those reasons, she'd been more than happy to accept Mei's offer to join her own club several months ago. The thought of losing that, and having to join another club and get a big chunk of her studying time taken away… well, it left a bad taste in her mouth, that was for sure.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Haruhi sighed, low enough for the enraged Mei to miss, but just loud enough for Kasumi to hear, given the knowing smile the latter flashed her.

"Sorry, Mei-chan," Kohaku answered, grinning widely. "I don't know about these two, but I didn't mean to ignore you."

The ganguro raised an eyebrow, glancing at the newspaper clutched tightly in Kohaku's hands as it had probably been all day.

"So what's the latest story?" she said flatly.

As expected, the dripping sarcasm flew over Kohaku's head.

"Oh, not much," she answered, sorting through the messy stack of papers. "Just the usual about the Prime Minister and the economy issues… oh, and the Suoh family too."

"Are people still talking about that?" Kasumi snorted. "I thought that was old news weeks ago."

"It's mostly just speculation on their whereabouts," Kohaku explained, finally getting the papers in order and folding them up. "That and various people's thoughts on what will happen to the company without them. I personally think that-"

"Hey!" Mei cried, placing herself in front of her three fellow members. "This is no time to talk about spoiled rich people. We have our own problems to deal with, right Haruhi?"

Unfortunately for Mei, Haruhi hadn't heard a word of that. She hadn't heard much of Kasumi or Kohaku's conversation either. No, all her attention was on their club room, just two doors away, and the unfamiliar male voice she was just starting to make out inside of it.

Saying nothing, Haruhi moved passed her friends and walked to the door. She stopped just short of walking in and shushed her friends when they tried to question her. Judging from their next moves, Mei heard the voice first while Kohaku and Kasumi heard it last. One by one, the three stood around the door as well, Kasumi being the only one brave enough to seek a peek inside. She jerked her head back out and gasped.

"It's the new guy!"

Mei had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in excitement. Somehow, she kept herself from outright running into the room. Together, the four of them quietly listened, Haruhi wondering if maybe she shouldn't have done this in the first place. It wasn't exactly polite to listen in on people's phone conversations after all.

* * *

><p>"I understand, Katsuo-san," Tamaki was saying. "I'm being very careful."<p>

"This club situation could become a problem. You have to find one that doesn't require much work, or else we may have to take you out of that school and-"

"Don't you think that's a bit drastic?" Tamaki cut his bodyguard off. His control over the volume of his voice was slipping and he knew it. "Joining a club isn't going to reveal my true identity."

"That doesn't change the risks of it," Katsuo was almost robotic in his answers. "You must not draw attention to yourself, that was the whole point of disguising you. If we had our way, you wouldn't be in that school at all. Your father insisted that you not be kept locked up and get to be around kids your own age regardless of their affluence or social standing. We're taking big risks for you, you _must_do as we say in return, understood?"

"Yes sir," the deflated Tamaki answered. "Have you heard from my father?"

Katsuo sighed on the other end.

"You know we won't get a report from him until Friday. Just be content in knowing that he and your grandmother are safe. You needn't worry about anything else."

"Well, of course I do!" Tamaki retaliated. "They're my family, aren't they? No matter where I was raised, I'm a Suoh too."

His heated reply did nothing to faze the stone faced bodyguard, at least nothing that Tamaki could hear over a phone line. It didn't matter, Tamaki had spent the last month and a half being told 'not to worry' and 'just keep quiet' and 'let us handle it' and now he was tired of it. He knew he shouldn't take that frustration out on Katsuo-san, but it wasn't like he had anyone else to talk to about it. He was too scared of Sekigawa-san to yell at her.

"Tamaki-san…" Katsuo trailed off. "Just get home soon or you'll be late for your lessons. We'll talk about the club business later."

"Yes, Katsuo-san," Tamaki said submissively. Already he was feeling terrible for snapping at the man putting his life on the line to keep him safe. Tamaki had no idea when he became such a selfish person, but he didn't like it.

A cold weight settled in his stomach as he returned the phone to his pocket and grabbed his coat. He suddenly realized that he had lied to Oshiro before, he really didn't know the way out of the building. He sighed angrily, this day was just getting better and better. He turned around, trying to force himself not to think of Katsuo-san's serious face or Sekigawa-san's torturous lessons.

He found himself face to face with four girls.

One of them was Fujioka Haruhi.

_That_was certainly unexpected.

The ticking of the clock seemed to synch up with his heartbeats. Tamaki could hardly distinguish between the two anymore. He could hear blood rushing to his ears, roughly as fast as his growing need to run away and hide in a closet forever.

The girl on the far right, with tan skin and yellow hair Tamaki recognized as 'ganguro style,' was openly gawking at him. The two girls beside her started at him with equally wide eyes, and Haruhi Fujioka merely frowned at him.

The palpable silence was becoming too much. Tamaki had no idea how much of that they'd heard, hopefully nothing. Hopefully, they were all magic fairies and had poofed themselves into the room at the exact moment he'd hung up the phone and therefore had not heard him practically shout the truth about himself to the heavens.

It was a ridiculous thought even for Tamaki, but it was sure better than the alternative.

Without warning, one of the girls stepped forward. Tamaki backed up, his fight or flight instincts kicking into gear far too late.

"Tamaki," she spoke slowly. "Tamaki… _Suoh?"_

"I thought his name was Okada," one of the other girls whispered to the still stunned ganguro.

The first girl fumbled with a newspaper under her arm and unfolded it in Tamaki's face, revealing a large photo of his solemn faced father taken the day before his self imposed exile.

"You're his son?" the girl asked almost reverently.

Tamaki unconsciously shook his head, unable to speak or even think clearly as the full weight of what he'd done smacked him like a brick. His eyes finally stuck on Haruhi Fujioka. The girl said and did nothing, but tilted her head to the side, utterly adorable wonder written all over her face.

"I-" Tamaki struggled to say something. Anything. "I- I just- I'm not- I-"

Something in his disjointed ramblings must have translated to a 'yes.' The girl's face lit up like a Christmas, the newspaper falling from her hands which proceeding to pull the ganguro and the other girl closer. Haruhi Fujioka remained in the background.

"Oh my god, it's really him!" she cried to her friends. "This is Tamaki Suoh!"

Tamaki prayed the floor would just swallow him up already.

"Wait a second, Kohaku," the second girl said, pulling away from her excitable friend. "Why would a rich kid be at a third rate junior high like this one? Doesn't he have a fancy private school or something?"

Kohaku rolled her eyes. "Kasumi-chan, don't you remember? The Suoh family is facing bankruptcy and public embarrassment, they've been in hiding for over a month!"

At this, Kasumi's eyes went alight with understanding. "Oh, I get it, so this Tamaki kid here must in witness protection or something."

"Which means," the ganguro loudly entered the conversation. "That you're trying to keep your true identity a secret, aren't you, Mr. _Suoh?"_

Tamaki shrunk back even further, very much not liking the smile on this girl's face as she bared down on him.

"Please," he begged, holding his hands out like a beggar. "You four mustn't tell anyone. It's a matter of life and-"

"Oh, we won't tell," the ganguro interrupted, sounding almost innocent. "We'd never do such a thing."

"Really?" Tamaki asked, hope rising with him.

"Of course not, club members always keep each other's secrets."

Tamaki would have jumped up in the air and cheered and given the ganguro a big hug and kiss on the cheek, but then he worked out exactly what she'd said and deflated instantly.

"Are you confused?" the ganguro asked in sing song, her voice and face darkening. "It's really very simple. See, our club is in danger of being cut. We need a fifth member, one who's a third year student, just like you. You need to join a club AND keep your true identity secret or else face the utter embarrassment and heckling you've been running from. It's only natural then, that you should join our club in exchange for our silence."

"W-what?"

"I'm saying," she firmly stated, standing over Tamaki's fallen from in triumph, staring down at him with eyes like a demon. "That from this day forward, you, Tamaki Suoh, are a member of our club!"

Were this a cartoon or an anime, he imagined the girl would have followed this up with a round of evil laughter. He could almost hear a clap of thunder and scary organ music in the background, but that may have just been his miserable imagination playing cruel tricks on him.

* * *

><p><strong><em>And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I've revealed my true identity to a bunch of random girls. Didn't Katsuo-san constantly drill it in my head NOT to do stupid things like this?<em>**

_**Well, at least Haruhi Fujioka seems to be in the club too. This could be a good chance to get to know her for real. I just need to figure out this ganguro girl, but I'm sure it can't be too hard to get on her good side. And it's not like she's TRYING to get me killed, she just doesn't know the full extent of the situation. No one does. She wouldn't be doing this if she knew, right? No one is that cruel.**_

_**Right…?**_

_**…I really wish you were here, Mother. I don't know if I can handle all this.**_


	2. Advising Club

"Hold it steady… steady, I said."

"I'm trying."

"Not hard enough, your hand is shaking like a leaf."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"It's still not steady."

"I'm trying!"

"Don't yell at me."

"…right, sorry."

Sigh "Just try to relax, alright? This isn't as hard as it looks."

"Shooting someone isn't hard?"

"I'm talking about keeping your arm still. We'll get to the actual shooting later."

"…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay, so some might think this situation I've gotten myself into is doomed to become a giant mess. To recap: I've been forced into hiding under an assumed name while my family faces public ridicule and near constant threats from some very bad people. I am alone in a commoner school, which admittedly was something of a plus, but then I had to go and give away my identity and getting kidnapped into these girls' club! How could I be so stupid?<strong>_

_**Stupid, stupid, STUPID!**_

_**Oh, how I wish I could just disappear and avoid the embarrassment of facing Katsuo-san again. He can't find out about this, that much is certain. If he knew I did this after all the work him and his colleagues have put into protecting me, he'd have me out of this school in a heartbeat and then I really would be all alone! I couldn't bear that.**_

_**I 'll just have to go along with this for now. And who knows, I may begin to enjoy this club. I even get to hang around with Haruhi Fujioka every day! I just wish I knew what kind of club this is. They don't seem like the sport type, these girls. Perhaps it's art related? Maybe they're one of those pop music clubs I've heard about that plays concerts at school events and the like, I hope they don't expect me to do anything like that. Maybe I could be their manager or something, a behind the scenes member of sorts. Yeah, this could be really fun for me. For all of us.**_

_**It's going to be great, I'm sure of it!**_

* * *

><p>For the second time in only a day, Tamaki found himself seated in an uncomfortable chair (made from cheap plastic, he'd wager), twiddling his thumbs as he looked around awkwardly at his so-called 'Club mates.'<p>

The ganguro, who'd given her name as Mei, was in the corner, draped over an unused desk and reading a fashion magazine. She held a pink pen between her lips and turned the pages at a slow, yet steady rate. Every now and then, she'd take the pen and circle something, murmuring a tiny 'a-ha' to herself and grinning a fox like grin.

Kasumi, a fairly tall girl with bob cut black hair and narrow brown eyes, was currently involved in a heated death match against an ant crawling around her desk. With her chin resting on the hardwood, she followed it intently, a pencil hovering over it's head. Occasionally, she would drop it in the ant's path, causing it to change course and scamper away. She mostly did this whenever the insect was about to crawl off the desktop and out of her view.

Kohaku had been reading the newspaper for over and hour now. Unlike most people Tamaki knew, who mainly skimmed articles and looked at the pictures, Kohaku was taking in every word, committing them to memory with a diligent many politicians didn't seem to have. However, when Tamaki's attention was on something else, he'd sometimes get a funny feeling like he was being watched, and he'd turn around to find Kohaku's dark brown eyes on him. Though she immediately looked away upon being caught, she did it several more times and it was beginning to creep Tamaki out that she wouldn't say why.

And finally, there was Haruhi. Tamaki had tried to make it as inconspicuous as possible when he took a seat beside her. So far, she hadn't acknowledged his presence in the slightest, her nose in either her history textbook or the loose-leaf paper she took detailed notes on. Tamaki was amazed when he saw that and also oddly happy. He should have known Haruhi would be a smart girl. It just seemed so right for her. As far as he knew, anyway.

Really, he didn't quite understand yet what made Haruhi stand out to him. At first glance, she wasn't really that different from the other girls he'd seen so far. She wore the standard school uniform, her long hair was styled in a common way, she didn't have an amazing body, and most of all, she didn't _do_ anything to stand out. It was as if she wanted to appear as average as possible, and she was sure doing a good job of that.

But there was something else, Tamaki realized, something about her that _was_ different, that _was _unique. Something you'd have to dig deeper to find and understand. Perhaps she had a way of seeing the world that wasn't quite like everyone else, or maybe she was an independent spirit who didn't want to be grounded for fear of losing her sense of self. Perhaps the little confused face she'd made when Tamaki first saw her was so adorable that the image had been forever ingrained in his skull, leaving him permanently drawn to her. A combination of all three was also a possibility.

All it really meant was that Haruhi Fujioka was someone he wanted to call a friend, and it had been his hope that he could use this club thing to accomplish that. The key word being 'had.'

By the time the clock struck four, marking the halfway period between club hours starting and stopping, nobody had moved, no words had been spoken, and they'd certainly done nothing resembling a club activity. Tamaki knew he couldn't just sat back anymore. Straightening up in his seat, he turned to Mei, the supposed President of this club, and cleared his throat.

"So what kind of club is this?" he asked. "I don't believe I was ever told."

Mei chewed the already bite mark covered pencil cap, deep in thought over what looked like a row of skirts on sale for half off, assuming he was seeing correctly from his vantage point. Mei didn't say a word or move a muscle, as if Tamaki's words went in one ear and out the other. Not one to be deterred, Tamaki opted to try again.

"Mei-san, excuse me?" he said a little louder. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," she finally answered. Tamaki was only half expecting it, and sat dumb for a moment.

"I was just wondering if we were going to do any club activities," he explained. "And what exactly they might entail-"

"No."

Tamaki blinked. "No? I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"What's to understand?" Mei asked, still not looking up from that magazine of hers. "No means no in France, doesn't it?"

"SHHH!" Tamaki shot up, frantically waving at the girl and getting her to look up at him at last. "I told you not to say anything!"

Mei's response was to roll her eyes, which provided little comfort for Tamaki. Sensing the growing panic, Kasumi clicked her tongue sat up. She glanced out at the window on the door which revealed a deserted hallway.

"Relax, S- Okada-kun," she coughed, looking away from Tamaki's long face. "There is no one around. All the clubs take place either outside or on the other end of the building."

Though her slip up was still ringing in his ears, Tamaki felt a little calmer with her reassurance and genuine smile. He took a deep breath.

"Really?"

"Absolutely," was Kasumi's answer. "No clubs ever take place around here except ours. In fact, this isn't even an official club room. But no one has stopped us using it yet, so here we are."

Tamaki gave her a blank stare, the flippancy she displayed at what he was pretty sure violated some kind of school rule astounded him. Armed with this new knowledge and the implications therein, he looked again at Mei, who had returned to her magazine and was muttering something about charging too much for sandals.

"Is this even an actual club?" he asked, strongly believing that he wasn't going to like the answer.

Mei froze, her hand in mid page turn as she glanced at him through a lowered brow.

"Of course it is," she answered curtly.

"But you don't do anything," Tamaki argued back.

"Well, yeah," Mei said with a shrug, leaning back against the wall and propping her feet up on an unused desk. Kasumi groaned audibly at this. "See, I've always believed this 'you must be in a club' rule is really stupid. Not everyone wants to join a club, and more importantly, not everyone _can_." Mei paused to grab her magazine and opened it to a marked page. "See, clubs are for people with certain talents that they like to let flourish. The kids who can sing join the choir, the kids who can paint join the art club, the kids who can throw a ball around and body tackle people join a sports team. See how it works?"

Tamaki nodded, not really sure where Mei was going with this.

"Not everyone is like that," she went on. "Some people don't have any talents or special interests. Some people just like to spend all their free time sleeping, watching TV and staring at the wall in the comfort of their own home. Since that's not an option, we made this club! For people with no special talents or hobbies and no desire to join any clubs, like me and Haruhi and Kasumi and… well, actually Kohaku used to be in the politics club, but they kicked her out for fighting."

"I was _not_ fighting," Kohaku declared almost robotically without even looking up from her reading. Tamaki was amazed she'd even heard them.

"You threw two books at the club president's head," Kasumi said flatly.

"Okay," Kohaku cried, throwing aside the newspaper in a huff and standing. "First of all, it was only _one_ book that just so happened to be split into two volumes. Second, I was aiming in her general direction, but I didn't even come close to hitting her, that damn liberal crybaby. I can't believe she got me in trouble like that!"

"Well, gee, maybe it's because _you threw two books at her_," Kasumi repeated, leaning over in her seat.

As the girls began arguing, Mei stood and dragged herself over with a groan. Her eyes unable to draw away from her magazine as if it were the holy grail she was leaving behind in a cave in the desert. Along the way, though, she stopped at Tamaki and flashed him a smile.

"When you think about it, this club is perfect for you," she said. "Isn't it the point of being in hiding that no one notices you?"

She left before Tamaki could answer, not that he would have anyway. He knew that there was no arguing with that logic, this… club that wasn't a club really was the best thing that could have happened to him, all things considered. As long as he could keep the girls from exposing him to Katsuo or his family's enemies (he wasn't sure which would be worse), everything would be okay. And there was, of course, that one other little perk he was forgetting.

Haruhi, strangely enough, hadn't looked up even once in the growing commotion (Mei's attempts to stop the other girl's fight didn't appear to be going very well). She still had her nose in that green and white textbook, concentrating hard on the lessons it taught. Her head was titled ever so slightly to one side and her lips were parted. Her eyes were wide open, but every now and then she would blink. She looked so adorable, Tamaki was sure he'd grab her and hug the life out of her at any moment.

He ignored that impulse, despite the impressive strength of it, and instead focused on what she was doing, with the hope of finding something to use as a conversation starter. He noted the way her hair fell loose to her lower back, brushed out and straight as a stick. It looked soft, like she took care of it well. He decided that that, along with her eyes, was probably her best feature.

"You have the most lovely hair, Fujioka-san," he said, smiling warmly at her. "It compliments your lovely face so well."

She said nothing, but Tamaki was already on a roll and hadn't quite realized this yet.

"I see that you study a lot, you must have a great dream you're trying to reach. I'm sure you will succeed in whatever you choose to do, for I believe good things always come to beautiful girls with kind hearts like the one I know you must possess, my dear."

He rambled on and on about this and that, going from one compliment to another at top speed. And yet throughout it all, Haruhi Fujioka never so much as glanced in his direction. It was disquieting, and not even Tamaki was so dense that he didn't notice it eventually. Luckily for him, it was around the time that he figured this out that Haruhi suddenly lifted her head and looked at him with those big, cute eyes of hers.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Where you saying something, Senpai?"

Tamaki's mouth hung open mid-sentence, he couldn't even remember what he'd been talking about. Haruhi waited patiently for an answer, but Tamaki's brain needed time to reboot, and she was close to returning to her reading when he suddenly coughed and forced something out.

"No, I- I was just saying that you have nice hair," he weakly explained. "It's very pretty."

"Oh," she answered with a casual nod. "Thanks."

Tamaki grinned, joy welling up inside of him at breaking through this first wall between him and Haruhi developing a friendship. From there, things should be much easier. Soon, she would see him for the refined, handsome gentlemen he truly was underneath the plain face he'd been forced to wear. She'd look at him with admiration and a deep sense of trust that he would always be there as her friend. Yes, what a wonderful day that would be.

While he was off in his own world, Haruhi was examining his dopey grin, her lips pursed. She raised her hand in a tiny gesture.

"You have a little bit of noodle stuck in your teeth," she said.

She then went back to her book, getting lost in throes of homework and not seeing Tamaki's body tense up, nor his head dropping in a combination of utter shame and humiliation.

"Mei-san, may I please have a bathroom break?" he asked while raising a miserable hand half heartedly into the air.

* * *

><p>Tamaki was still feeling like a mess of a failure later on at his nightly language tutoring sessions. Sekigawa-san, a petite, chubby woman in her late fifties who dressed in 'Western secretary' clothes (as Katsuo-san had dubbed them) and wore an oversized pair of glasses that came close to completely taking up all of her small head and made her eyes bug out in a way that would put Moe anime characters to shame. Her graying auburn hair was pulled back in a bun so tight it made the skin of her forehead flake. At the moment, she was writing something, likely grading his last pop quiz or coming up with new essay topics. Tamaki felt his writing hand cramp from the mere thought of the 20 page assignments she gave him bi-weekly.<p>

Pushing it from his mind, Tamaki lowered his head to the verb sheet and read over it carefully, slowly repeating each word in his head and mouthing along with it, trying to wrap his mind around the advanced Japanese phrases and not think about school and his peers and the club and everything else in his life that was going downhill fast.

"Is anything wrong?"

Tamaki shot up. He found Sekigawa-san now staring at him with those massive bug eyes of hers and not a hint of emotion anywhere.

"Huh?" he asked dumbly. "Oh. No, Sekigawa-san, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she pressed, placing her fountain pen on the table and lacing her fingers together. "Because you can tell me if something is wrong. I know Katsuo-san isn't one for heart to hearts."

"It's alright, really," Tamaki answered, putting on a practiced smile. "I'm just thinking about school and some new friends I made. That's all."

"Ah, I see," Sekigawa nodded. "You're having school troubles."

Tamaki's fingers and toes curled. _'I never said anything about troubles.'_

"Don't worry, Suoh-san," the bookish woman said, her big red lips lifting upwards. "It's only your first day, after all. I'm sure as time goes on, you'll get the hang of it. This may be a different world than what you're used to, but when it comes right down to it, it's mostly the same."

"Oh…" Tamaki whispered, his fears beginning to slowly dissipate as Sekigawa's kind words reached his ears.

"Pretty soon you won't be bothered anymore by the awful cafeteria food and the lowlife bullies who will beat you up and steal your money, not to mention the hierarchy of popular kids who torment all the so-called 'nerds,' which now that I think about it, likely includes new students such as yourself. As far as I know, the usual M.O. is shoving heads in toilets, getting stuffed into lockers, general ridicule everywhere you look with every little flaw they can sense being picked apart and over-exaggerated to the point that you begin to feel like a miserable excuse for a human being and lapse into a state of deep depression while they sit back and watch their hard work bear fruit with big, ugly smiles on their faces. Other than that, you'll be just fine!"

By now, Tamaki had sunk so low is his chair, he wasn't even visible over the table anymore. Sekigawa either didn't notice, or didn't care as he lay there in a chalk white heap of anguish and remained as such until the hour was up and the lesson concluded.

"Be sure to practice your verbs and adjectives, there'll be a quiz tomorrow," were Sekigawa's final words as she gathered her things and adjourned to her room for the night.

Tamaki picked himself up, though he was still reeling from the ideas his well-meaning teacher had planted in his head. Kurosawa came to mind, baring down on him with a crazed grin that spoke of evil intent. His two friends flanked him on both sides, laughing like maniacs and cheering their friend/boss on. The sky turned blood red and fire shot out from the ground, completing the horrific image and bringing Tamaki close to a blood curdling scream.

When Katsuo-san, a tall, muscular man in a clean, crisp suit and whose black hair was crew cut over hard brown eyes, entered the room looking for him, Tamaki was in the far corner, whimpering in fear. The large man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He then walked over and grabbed Tamaki by the collar, pulling the unprepared teenager to his feet with an unsympathetic tug.

"What are you doing?" he asked, but raised his hand when Tamaki opened his mouth. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Just get to bed, it's almost ten and you have school tomorrow."

Tamaki's insides jerked unpleasantly at the dreaded 'S' word being spoken aloud.

"Okay, thank you Katsuo-san," he droned, ambling around his bodyguard and out the door, only to be stopped when a beefy hand wrapped around his wrist. He turned his head. "Yes?"

"We have to re-dye your hair in the morning before you leave," Katsuo-san said, looking over his head rather than at his eyes. "I can see blonde roots. Wake up an hour earlier, understood?"

Tamaki bit his lip, his fingers twitching as he got the sudden urge to run his fingers through his hair and see if he found inky black on them afterwards. The thought of yet another sixty minutes staring at his black head was not a pleasant one. It was as if both Katsuo-san and Sekigawa-san were doing everything in their power to keep him reminded of how utterly hopeless this situation was. If he stayed as Tamaki Okada, he might never see his family again and be stuck in the life of a poor man. If he went public as Tamaki Suoh, his life was at risk. It was a loss for him no matter what.

Defeated, Tamaki gave a sigh and nodded.

"I understand, Katsuo-san," he said softly after a long pause.

"We're also going back to the shooting range over the weekend," Katsuo-san stated. "You need more target practice."

"Yes, sir."

With that, Katsuo was finally satisfied, although Tamaki felt worse than he had in a long time. He went to his room like a sleepwalker, opened the door and stepped inside. Though he had only lived in the 2nd Suoh estate for a week before this all started, he could remember the magnificent room he had been given well. That room expanded across a length of three regular sized ones and the walls and carpet were in pristine condition. The bed was like a cloud and smelled of fabric softener. He had the best sleep of his life on that bed. The massive windows facing him gave him a perfect view of the expansive world around him, and how bright and beautiful it was every sunny morning when he first opened his eyes.

His new room was roughly the size of a large walk in closet. The beige paint was peeling at the cobweb covered corners and the carpet's rough material scratched unpleasantly against his feet whenever he walked barefoot. The bed was soft enough, but only if he stayed near the edge, as there appeared to be a spring loose on the far end that made it sag uncomfortably. The only window was a small, rectangular space too high on the wall for him to look out unless he stood on a chair. The one time he tried, Tamaki found an enormous spider running across it and his screaming could be heard from next door.

Tamaki flopped down on the bed, ignoring the awful creaking sound it made and shoved his face into a pillow, wanting nothing more than to lay like that until he suffocated. Unconsciously, he reached underneath it, feeling around until he struck gold. Out came a single photograph, a tiny rip on the corner from when he'd hastily pulled it out of the frame the day he'd been forced to leave the Suoh estate. He gazed at the beautiful face of his mother, how happy and bright she looked, a far cry from the sickly, solemn woman he'd left behind in France. Her arms were wrapped around his ten year old self, who wore an equally happy grin and held Kuma-chan tight in his arms. Everything about the picture made Tamaki's heart ache. What's worse, he didn't even have a picture of his fahter to go with it.

Tamaki's hand went limp and he rolled over in bed to face the wall. He could only see the black night sky out the window from this position, and it fit his mood perfectly.

* * *

><p><em><strong>It's on nights like this that I miss my mother most of all. She raised me, you see, and she has been suffering from a serious illness for years now. It wasn't a huge problem at first, but when her families' once prosperous company went bankrupt, I knew things were never going to be easy for us again. We had to fire all of our staff, some of whom had been with us for years. Mother sold a lot of her favorite designer clothes and jewelry, all but one of our cars had to be let go of, we basically did whatever we could to make ends meet. That's where my Grandmother came in.<strong>_

_**She never liked me, and I know she doesn't like mother even more. My parents are unmarried, but very much in love with each other, I assure you. My grandmother would have none of it, so my parents couldn't be together as they wanted to. Grandmother made an offer I couldn't in good conscience refuse, even if the cost of going through with it was a great one. I was to live in Japan with grandmother and my father, and be the potential heir to the Suoh family. My mother would be cared for and her bills paid by Grandmother. The only stipulation was that I could never see or talk to my mother again. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but in the end, I knew I had to do it. Mother needed care and medicine that I couldn't provide her, she needed help that I couldn't give. The only option in the end was to place her in the hands of someone who could, and someone who I know will never see me as more than a mistake. **_

_**It doesn't bother me, though. No matter what, I know my grandmother is a good person deep down inside. She may never love me like a grandmother should, but I refuse to believe that she is heartless. I sometimes wonder how she's taking all this and I wish she would talk to me on my weekly phone calls with father. It's not like I'll be seeing either of them any time soon. I pray for their safety along with that of my mother. Come to think about it, does mother even know about this? Did Grandmother tell her, or did she hear about it in the newspapers and gossip rags just like the rest of the world? Surely Grandmother told her, or at least had someone make the call. It doesn't really matter how she finds out, of course. This is still probably a huge blow to her health, worrying so much about father and me. How she must be feeling right now…**_

_**I don't want to think about it.**_

_**I don't think I've ever felt this awful in my entire life. My one wish is that tomorrow will be a better day, one that will bring the promise of future happiness, strong friendships, and most importantly, proof that Sekigawa-san really has been watching too many foreign teen dramas like Katsuo-san says and that I shouldn't take anything she says non-lesson related seriously.**_

* * *

><p>Tamaki sat at his desk beside Oshiro's, who had yet to arrive, and tried to concentrate on re-checking his homework one final time. Several of his classmates had already arrived, including Kurosawa, who was pointedly ignoring him from his seat in the back of the class. Tamaki couldn't say he was disappointed by this.<p>

He had been feeling a little better thanks to a good night's sleep, but after a morning of hair dye and conditioner, the weight of everything was beginning to cripple him again. Sighing, he finished reading the final page and shuffled through the papers, wanting them neat and back in their proper order before the first bell rang. Other students came through the door every now and then. It was not uncommon for Tamaki to see a pair of dark blue pants or a skirt in his line of vision every couple of minutes. Then one of the latter stopped right in front of him.

"Good morning, Okada-kun!" a cheerful voice said.

Tamaki looked up, half-expecting it to be Oshiro even though the voice didn't match. He found himself staring at another, less familiar girl with shoulder length, curly hair and bright green eyes that sparkled, fitting perfectly with her wide, cheery grin.

"Oh, Shiba-san," Tamaki said, suddenly remembering her from lunch the day before. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she answered, bringing a hand to her head and swirling a piece of hair around her finger. "I got my hair done yesterday, do you like it?"

Tamaki blinked, for a split second unsure what to make of this out of the blue question. He had no idea what had prompted it, he didn't think him and Shiba-san had made any sort of connection the day before. But her happy face, that made her look so pretty, reminded him of everything he'd ever been taught about talking to young ladies.

"It looks lovely," he said, taking her hand in his. "It accentuates your natural beauty so well, Shiba-san."

The young woman's face turned bright red and she looked away, giggling to herself.

"That's so sweet of you to say, Okada-kun."

The five minute bell rang at that moment, and Shiba high tailed it to her seat, still blushing and sighing the entire way. Tamaki felt rather good himself all of a suden, his worries starting to fade away little by little. With the smile he'd put on Shiba-san's face, he was reminded that he could be intergrated into this commoner society. All he had to good was be himself, and surely no one would find reason to put his head in a toilet. The rest of his classmates began filing into the room, ready for another slow day of learning. Tamaki was sure to greet each and every one of them, even though he didn't know all their names yet. He did see a few people he knew, including Konimi, who merely nodded when he said hello to her.

Oshiro was one of the last to enter, school bag in hand. Before Tamaki could even open his mouth she was waving at him.

"Good morning, Okada-kun," she said.

"Good morning, Oshiro," Tamaki answered. "You're looking lovely today."

Like Shiba-san, Oshiro's face reddened, though not nearly as much.

"It looks like you've gained some confidence," she said as she unpacked her school supplies. "I'm so glad. You seemed so nervous yesterday."

"I was," Tamaki admitted. "It's hard moving away from my home. I guess I'm still getting used to it."

"It'll get easier," Oshiro said, reassuringly. "I've never had to move myself, but I've had several friends who did, and it was always hard for both of us. But no matter what, thing's can always get better."

Tamaki nodded, not wanting to go any further with this line of conversation for fear of dredging up more unhappy thoughts. He'd had quite enough of those for one lifetime.

"Yes, and I believe it will," he said after a pause. "Especially if there are sweet, kind hearted people like you around."

"Aw, you're so sweet," Oshiro answered, her blush returning with a vengeance.

The two of them conversed lightly until the teacher arrived and called the class to order. From there, Tamaki dilligently listened to the day's lecture and thought to himself how wrong Sekigawa-san had been about this school and the people he'd meet. They were all so nice and friendly!

He was completely oblivious to the large figure in the very back of the room, glowering at him from the start of the class to the very end.

* * *

><p>Tamaki left the room as soon as the lunch bell rang, politely excusing himself to Oshiro and heading out to find his club mates. He felt an involuntary degree of anxiety, the ramifications of his mistake should one of them let something slip were well known to him. He trusted them to keep quiet, however foolish that may be, but he didn't want to take any chances. Thankfully, that was the only thing he had to worry about at the moment.<p>

He was on his way to the courtyard, where he knew the girls usually took their lunch, when something latched onto his plain white shirt and hurled him into a locker. Tamaki groaned in pain as a combination lock dug into his lower back. Forcing one eye open, Tamaki found himself face to face with an irate Kurosawa. With his teeth baring and his brow furrowed in a hard scowl, it reminded Tamaki very much of a documentary he had watched in Primary School about the predators of the jungle and how they stalked their prey.

"I saw you flirting with Oshiro," Kurosawa's deep voice rumbled.

"W-what?"

Kurosawa slammed him against the locker a second time. Tamaki's head was thrown back and struck the smooth metal, leaving him momentarily disoriented.

"Don't play stupid with me, Okada," Kurosawa said. "I saw you, and I'm telling you to stop now. If I ever see you talking to her again, you're going to be spending the rest of your life in traction. _Got it?"_

Tamaki nodded furiously. His ability to talk having abandoned him, not to return even when Kurosawa dropped him and stalked away, leaving a parting glare behind to remind Tamaki of their 'discussion.' Nobody who walked by said a word to him, few even looked in his direction. Eventually, Tamaki regained himself enough to stand and continue on shaking legs towards the courtyard, his back and head throbbing in both physical and metaphorical pain the entire way there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter two is here! Merry Christmas/Happy Haunakah/Happy Kwanza/Happy Holidays!**

**Not much to say about this one. It's a little slow, I know, but things will start to pick up around chapter 4. So if you can bear with me until then? XD**


	3. New Management Club

"You need to click it."

"What?"

"Look here… see? The safety's still on."

"Oh, okay…"

"Good. Good work. You're getting much better at this."

"…"

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"The sooner you get it right, the sooner we can leave, and until then, no complaining."

"…yes, sir."

"Good. Now first, show me again how to turn the safety on and off."

"Yes, sir."

…

"This is for your own good, Tamaki-san." 

* * *

><p>There were many days where Haruhi could happily spend her lunch period with her friends. She would listen to Mei argue with Kasumi over every day trivialities and discuss current events with Kohaku, all while enjoying the watermelon slices Arai-kun brought in to share every day. Then there were days like today. Days that came right after long nights of near endless homework and studying, leaving Haruhi with much less sleep than necessary and wanting to be as far away from humanity and all their little annoyances as possible.<p>

On these days, she took lunch next to her locker. Sitting with her head of long, brown hair pressed against the wall, a tray of rice and squid pieces at her side and a favorite book in her lap, there was nothing and no one to bother her, save for the random student or teacher coming by and never giving her a second glance. It was just as Haruhi liked it: peaceful, quiet and calm. Everything would have been perfect, were she not still reeling off the outlandish events of yesterday.

Contrary to her cool approach to the situation, Haruhi had been just as shocked as her friends at discovering the true identity of Genpaku Junior High's new student. The on-the-run heir to a wealthy family hiding out _here_ of all places? Holding a private conversation with his bodyguard in _theirs_ of all rooms? It felt like the half written plot of a mediocre comedy film, not something that could actually happen.

Then there was Okada- or really Suoh, she supposed- himself. Haruhi had never met a rich person before him; she had no idea if the pompous, 'in love with their money and themselves' portrayals they had on TV were accurate or not. After a day around Tamaki Suoh, she was inclined to believe it wasn't. The person she'd been introduced to yesterday was awkward and unsure of himself. He was quiet most of the time, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and his inflictions easy. This was probably a given, considering his circumstances, but even when he had tried to make conversation with her, he closed right up the second she responded.

Haruhi sighed and turned the page, though she was mostly skimming at this point as her mind wandered.

_'I don't really know anything about him yet,'_ she thought. _'But he doesn't seem so bad. I'm sure he won't be a bother, and I do feel sorry for him. It must be hard being away from his family like this.'_

Nodding to herself, Haruhi switched focus back to her book, not wanting to waste anymore time she could be spending on one of her favorite parts. She paused to glance at her watch, confirming that she had just enough time to finish the chapter. Eager eyes drank in the printed words, becoming enraptured in the story they told and blocking out the rest of her senses. Because of this, Haruhi was completely unaware of the person approaching until they were directly in front of her and clearing their throat.

"Good afternoon, Haruhi."

The words registered immediately despite her lack of concentration. Haruhi lifted her head, closing the book over her index finger to keep her place, and somehow wasn't all that surprised to find Tamaki Suoh standing over her. He was smiling, but it didn't come close to reach his eyes.

"Hello, Senpai," she greeted him in turn. "How are you today?"

"Fine," he answered after a moment's hesitation. "Just… still trying to find my way around."

"You'll get the hang of it soon," Haruhi assured him.

"I hope so, I really do," he said. The fact that he all but whispered that last part made Haruhi wonder if he was even talking to her anymore. Then his eyes flitted from her face to somewhere below her, and widened a fraction. "Oh, you're reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea? I love that one!"

Haruhi blinked. She glanced down at the book, her thumb tracing the edge of it's hardback cover. Her senpai was still watching her when she looked back up, and his happy face actually looked the part all of a sudden.

"You read it at your old school?" she asked.

As soon as it was out of her mouth, Haruhi regretted it. Tamaki's smile fell, almost certainly due to memories of his happier old life she had triggered. Before Haruhi could think of an apology, he let out a breath and his lips turned upwards again.

"Actually, I read it on my own," he explained. "I liked it especially on rainy days when there was nothing to do but sit inside. After my piano practice, I'd sit in the parlor and I'd read it, along with whatever else caught my fancy at the time. It always made the gloomy weather bearable."

The intrusive bell that rang on his last, wistful word ended the conversation there. Doors burst open on both sides of the hallway and students streamed out, filling the once silent area with more noise than Haruhi could have imagined.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she called over the commotion.

Tamaki nodded, even as he was shoved from side to side by some of their more aggressive peers.

"We'll talk later?" he cried back.

Haruhi had no time to answer. A huge wave of uniform clad bodies hit, leaving her unable to see Tamaki anymore. When it cleared up a bit, he was already gone.

"Well, _that_ was unexpected," she muttered.

With a shrug, Haruhi slung her backpack over one shoulder and started for her next class. 

* * *

><p>Though Haruhi would never know it, she wasn't the only one with Tamaki Suoh on the brain during this particular lunch period. On the far end of the courtyard, where few people usually sat, three girls were huddled close together, the one closest to the door speaking in fast and low tones.<p>

"So I got it all figured out last night," Mei said, raising her hands. "A tug on the collar means 'I need a bathroom break.'"

She followed up with a quick demonstration, ignorant of Kohaku and Kasumi's lack of attention or (in the latter's case) interest.

"Mm-hmm," Kasumi ground out.

"And a tap on the nose," Mei lightly rapped a finger against her nose. "Means 'we're ending early.' Finally, rubbing the neck- like so- means 'emergency.' You two got it?"

"Huh?" Kohaku's head suddenly shot up from her newspaper. "What were we talking about?"

Mei growled, slamming her head on the wall behind her and then wincing in pain. Kasumi just rolled her eyes and waved dismissively at the other girl.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Mei's just trying to be the leader again."

"What do you mean _trying?_" the indignant Mei cried. "I am the leader!"

"Yeah, you're the constantly late for class and homework shirking leader of a club that doesn't do anything," Kasumi reminded her. "I really don't see why we need hand signals for nothing."

"It's _not_ nothing," Mei objected, springing to her feet as if a greater difference in height would make her seem more authoritative (it should be noted that Kasumi was a head taller than her). "The hand signals are a secret code that only we club members know. Everyone else who sees us use them won't know what the hell it means and we'll end up looking mysterious and cool!"

"Or we'll look like weirdoes who scratch our necks whenever we need to use the bathroom," Kasumi drawled.

"No," Mei deadpanned. "Rubbing your neck means 'emergency.' Tugging your collar is 'bathroom.' You'd better not forget it, or do I need to quiz you guys?"

"I wonder how much he knows about the business proceedings," Kohaku's voice suddenly rose above a whisper, leaving her fully audible to an indifferent Kasumi and an increasingly frustrated Mei, who glared angrily in her direction. Kohaku's one track mind blocked it out completely. "Maybe he's sat in on board meetings too…"

"Kohaku," Mei said with faux calm. "Kohaku dear, have you been listening to anything I've said?"

A brief pause.

"I wonder how much he knows about their stock holdings."

"KOHAKU!" Mei slammed her fist down on the table, making the girl in question jump. "Can't you pay attention for a few minutes? You can daydream about Tamaki later!"

"I'm not daydreaming," Kohaku shot back, sounding far more affronted than necessary. "I'm just planning what I'm going to say to him later. You do realize that he's the son of Yuzuru Suoh, right? Do you have any idea what kind of insider's knowledge he might have into his family's business proceedings?"

"No, and I don't care," Mei answered curtly.

"Which is why I'm going to be the youngest Prime Minister in Japanese history and you're not," said Kohaku with a cocky grin. "Because I have the foresight to get prominent connections early on."

"Keeping up the tradition of corrupt politics," Kasumi said with a flat look and a nod. "I'm so proud of you, Kohaku… and by the way, what the hell were you thinking when you blackmailed him, Mei?"

Though it was an afterthought, Kasumi was clearly gunning for an answer. The ganguro sniffed. "I was thinking about keeping our club afloat, thank you very much."

"Yeah, but threatening to expose him?"

"Would you relax," the exasperated Mei waved her off. "I'm not really going to do it, but I have to make him think I am so he'll stick with us. What's the worst that can happen anyway? A few new rumors? Boo-hoo, cry me a river."

"I don't know…" Kasumi murmured, trailing off and turning back to her half-eaten lunch when it became clear that Mei would not be moved.

"You'll see, Kasumi-chan, this'll be good for all of us," Mei declared, kicking her feet back. "Learning a few lessons on how the world outside his rich-y bubble works won't kill him." 

* * *

><p><strong>BANG<strong>

The target piece burst into thousands of microscopic pieces, littering the once clean floor mats. He paid the mess no mind and cocked his weapon, aiming it at the next one in line and pulling the trigger.

**BANG**

The process was repeated again and again and again. When the last fragile target lay in shatters, he was forced to wait with rapidly decreasing patience as new ones were lined up for him. He drummed his fingers against the glass, a slow and deadly rhythm. The workers refused to make eye contact with him, knowing on a more primal level that they shouldn't go within even a mile of him. Like he was the monster their parents always said wasn't hiding in the closet. With coldly focused eyes, he took in the new line of targets, noting how closely they resembled human heads. Just the way he liked it. The gun felt heavier in his hands, itching to be used again. He obeyed it's command, raising it with both hands and enjoying the feel and sound of it re-arming.

His pocket vibrated.

It was three 'rings' before he issued a low growl and lowered his weapon. He leaned it on his leg and slid the cellphone out, turning to face the corner so as not to be heard.

"What is it?" he grumbled. "…Nothing? Can't say I'm too surprised. Far too out in the open… no new leads, eh? Then what, may I ask, are you doing calling me? I don't have time for chit-chat and I don't care to have your nasally voice in my ear for much longer. Get a lead, find the kid, then call me back."

He hung up without waiting for a response, but took a minute to imagine all the wonderful ways he could punish that idiot for his awful work ethic. He settled on either a bullet in each extremity, or a simple removal of them. It was neither here nor there anyway. Until the job was complete, nothing else was important. No other head mattered than his job's.

He took up the gun once more, aiming it at the first target. In his mind, he pictured the face of the boy his employer had shown him a photo of the day he was hired. The boy his assignment centered around. The blonde haired, violet eyed and happily smiling Tamaki Suoh.

**BANG**

* * *

><p>If there was one good thing Tamaki could say about this school, it would be that finding his way around the straight, one-way halls was very easy. Only his second day, and already he could walk from the classroom to the cafeteria and back. The library, located right next to said cafeteria, was equally simple to find. It was all for the best, he decided, because he really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone ask for directions.<p>

His short talk with Haruhi earlier had cheered him up some, but a pair of enraged, bloodthirsty eyes permeated his vision even when his own were shut. He rubbed the back of his head, still feeling a painful lump. Sighing, he kept his eyes on the ground and moved on. He felt like if he stopped, someone would be waiting for him with a sneer or a threat or a loaded gun in his face.

A door to his right shot open just as Tamaki was parallel to it. He gasped and stumbled back as what appear to be not a person, but a pile of colorful dresses, pieces of wood, and light bulbs with two legs attached ran back the way Tamaki had come. The moving junk took slow and lumbering steps, talking frantically the entire way.

"Oh, oh, this is bad, this is very bad! I'm so late! Ooooh!"

A piece of wood fell from the top of the pile. The boy, his hair shaggy and a sandy brown color, was now visible to Tamaki from behind. He stopped, holding still for a long time, as if any slight movement would send everything toppling over in a minor avalanche. Tamaki wouldn't be surprised if what happened next was just that. By some miracle, the boy was able to slowly bend his knees and reached an unsteady hand to grab the item. Tamaki was rooted to the ground, only able to move when the boy straightened up again.

"Hello!" he called out, his downtrodden feelings taking a back seat to concern. "Do you need any help?"

But the boy wasn't listening, and all but ran down the hall, still muttering things to himself like 'have to make it' and 'this is just awful!'

Tamaki slowed to a stop, resigned to watching him go and getting no answers as to who the boy was or what he was doing. As soon as the boy was out of sight, Tamaki blew out some air and turned around, only to be almost run into a second time. This time, it was two girls with nervous sweat running down their brows. They carried nothing and Tamaki knew who they were instantly.

"Konimi-san, Oshiro-san," he said, the second name coming out weaker than the first.

"Oh, hey Okada," Konimi said as if just realizing he was right in her line of sight. "This may sound like a stupid question, but did you see a walking mountain of stage props come by just now?"

"Is that what those were?" Tamaki repeated softly, momentarily forgetting that he'd just been asked a question. "Oh yes! Yes I did. He went that way."

Tamaki pointed out the direction, both girls' eyes following. Whereas Konimi started off immediately, set with a determination Tamaki only ever saw in movies about soldiers going into battle, Oshiro stayed back, a smile playing at her lips.

"Thanks for the help, Okada-kun," she said. "If we're ever going to get this show off the ground, we're going to need as much as we can get."

"Show… you mean for the drama club?"

Oshiro nodded. "Oh yes, we're been rehearsing for weeks, but we've had a lot of complications so far. Ichirou, the boy with all the props, is our stage manager and director. He's been a mess lately, the poor thing."

"That's awful," Tamaki answered, his innate empathy and powerful instinct to be helpful overriding all else. "If there's anything you all need, I-"

He stopped. Somehow, his eyes had managed to wander away from Oshiro right in the middle of his speech. They found another face, looking through a doorway with a clearly marked sigh above the window: DETENTION.

Kurosawa stared at him, the glass and wood keeping him separated from Tamaki, but for how long would that last? He had to be let out eventually. And even before that happened, he could continue his attempts to kill Tamaki with telekinesis all he wanted. At the very least, he could try to scare him out of his wits, and that was working all too well.

"I-if…" Tamaki stammered, choking back bile and doing everything he could to smile and be steady and not sweat like a pig and basically do nothing at all that might alert Oshiro to the intense fear coursing through him. "I- I mean, if that's all you need I really should be going!"

He took off without another word and before Oshiro could say or do anything. He turned a corner and broke into a dead run, not caring where he was going. He just had to get away from it all. From Kurosawa, from Oshiro, from everything.

But only the first two could be left behind so easily.

****

* * *

><p><strong><em>I feel like such a coward. Oh, forget that, I AM a coward. I can't even face down one person who tries to threaten, how can I ever handle myself in the kind of situation Katsuo-san wants to prepare me for?<em>**

**_Granted, the aggressor in question is much bigger than me and probably stronger too. He's also very unrefined and has likely grown up around violence and fighting. If he really wanted to beat me up, I'd have no chance!_**

**_It's like no matter how much I try to bring myself up, someone or something comes along to beat me back down._**

**_Will I ever truly belong to this school?_**

* * *

><p>The library was nicer than Tamaki had thought. Shelves lined every wall and were crammed with as many books as possible. At the same time, they were perfectly organized according to the appropriate decimal system. The tables were all clean and had a distinctly new quality to them, not surprising as he'd overheard the librarian on the phone talking about new renovations when he walked in. Even the chairs were made with a comfortably soft plush.<p>

Tamaki slumped over in one of those very chairs. The book in front of him was unopened and had something to do with algebra if the words out the corner of his eye meant anything. He stared aimlessly at the clock, situated just above the reference guides. It was 2:15, a good twenty minutes before Study Hall was over and he could get to his final class of the day. Not that he was particularly excited about that. Another hour in Kurosawa's presence was not at the top of his 'Most Desired Activities' list.

He had no energy to try and work, he couldn't even open his mouth to sigh. When someone walked over from the other end of the room and took the seat right in front of him, Tamaki didn't bother to look and see who it was. He just prayed that they would be smart enough to see that he didn't want to talk to anyone. Then they cleared their throat.

"Excuse me?" a female voice said. "Are you alright, Senpai?"

Tamaki's dulled over eyes widened, life re-igniting within their false colored depths. He sprang up into a perfect vertical position, taking in the sea of brown hair and eyes that was before him.

"Haruhi," he breathed. "Why aren't you in class?"

She shrugged. "I was in history, but it ended early because my Sensei's wife went into labor. I figured since I had the free time, I'd come and get some reading done. I didn't expect to see you though."

Tamaki stared at her dumbly, and she seemed to notice as an awkwardly amused smile crossed her features. It was possibly the most adorable thing he'd even seen.

"Oh, well, this is my study period," he explained, taking deep breaths to restore his calm collectiveness. He eyed the textbook, laying his fingertips on the cover and casually sliding it to the side. "But I don't have anymore work to do at the moment. So, are you still reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea?"

Haruhi wordlessly pulled the book out from her bag. Tamaki examined the cover, taking note of a precariously placed yellow bookmark.

"Did you get to the chapter where they find Atlantis?" he asked. "That's my favorite part."

"Not yet," Haruhi said, tearing her eyes away and opening the book. "I'm right at when they first enter the Mediterrean. It happens to be _my_ favorite part."

"Oh really?" Tamaki's genuine interest surprised even him.

Haruhi nodded. "I love the descriptions of the ocean floor; the plants, the different types of fish they see. It makes me want to go to the Mediterranean myself."

"Maybe I'll take you one day!" Tamaki declared without thinking. He nervously glanced around for nearby eavesdroppers upon realizing it. While such a statement would not indicate that much about his family's wealth, he knew not to take any chances. Katsuo-san had pounded that into his head enough times. On top of all that, Haruhi was now staring at him, her mouth partially open in surprise.

_'I take it back,'_ Tamaki thought. **_'That_** _is the most adorable thing I've ever seen.'_

"Or you know," he said with a cough. "Once everything is said and done… and only if you wanted to of course. It's just a thought, really."

In spite of, or perhaps because of, Tamaki's fluster, Haruhi gave a small laugh.

"That's nice of you to say anyway, Senpai."

Tamaki took a deep, shaking breath. There was a smile on his face before he knew it, and a warmth inside of him that hadn't been there before. Looking at Haruhi's sweet, happy face, he was reminded of Oshiro and Shiba and all the other girls, how happy they had looked when he complimented them. Before the trouble with Kurosawa had started, it had made him feel good too to see their faces light up, the joy it gave him. It was a nice feeling.

_'Maybe things really can work out,'_ the ever optimistic voice in Tamaki's mind said.

Another party joined them at that moment, announcing her arrival by slamming her hands on the table.

"Heads up, guys," Kasumi said, pointing at something neither Tamaki or Haruhi could see. "Our fearless leader is calling."

Tamaki blinked in confusion, then turned in the indicated direction. Haruhi followed suit. Mei was standing by the propped open library door, rubbing at her neck and wearing a very unpleasant frown. Tamaki was sure he saw a vein popping out of her head as well.

"What's that mean again?" Kohaku asked, appearing out of nowhere from behind a row of law books. "She needs the bathroom, right? She should just go then, no need to alert us."

"That's tugging the collar," Kasumi said, though the half-hearted way she spoke indicated that she wasn't entirely into it. "Rubbing the neck means 'emergency.'"

With that established, Haruhi was the first to get up. Tamaki and the other girls weren't far behind, though Kasumi's slow pace did put some distance between them. When they were close enough, Mei removed her hand, revealing a growing splotch of red on her shoulder from rubbing too hard. She raised a single finger and pointed over her shoulder. She immediately turned and walked away, but the message was clear.

The four of them were led into an empty classroom, not unlike the one they used for their club meetings. Mei stopped in front of the teacher's desk and plopped her behind down on it, kicking her legs in and blowing out large puffs of air. This went on for well over a minute, with nothing being said and no explantion for her odd behavior given. The tension that was forming fast soon became too much for Kohaku, who took a step forward.

"Mei, what is going on?" she demanded. "I was doing some very important reading!"

Mei glanced at her, suddenly lacking the vibrant nature Tamaki had seen until now. An uneasy feeling grew in his stomach.

"So," Mei's finally speaking brought them all back to attention. "I was just talking to the Vice-Principal."

"Uh-oh," Kasumi whispered, soft enough that Mei didn't hear, but loud enough that Tamaki did. He bit his lip hard.

"It seems that my record for tardiness and missing homework has finally caught up to me," Mei went on, her tone becoming bitter. "While I think all this… or at least a good amount of these charges are bogus, the Vice-Principal has informed me that I have no other choice but to accept the consequences. That said… I have been forced to relinquish my position as head of the club."

A hard silence followed. Everyone was either taking that in (Tamaki and Haruhi), too stunned for words (Kohaku), or just plain unsurprised (Kasumi). Whatever reaction Mei expected, she clearly didn't get it, as that vein began to pop again and she let out an annoyed groan. She lifted herself back onto the floor and paced the perimeter of the room.

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what this means for us."

"I'll say," Kohaku interrupted. "What'll we do without a club president?"

"They'd probably shut us down," Haruhi said thoughtfully. "Unless we can figure out who should take Mei's place."

"That won't be necessary," Mei said, stopping in front of a window and placing a hand against the glass. "The rules for how to deal with this type of situation have been laid out to me: in the event of a President resigning or being made to step down, the position will then go to the oldest member of the club. In this case, it would be our one and only third year student."

She turned around just as Haruhi, Kasumi and Kohaku did. Four pairs of eyes were on Tamaki, a mixture of shock and awe and indifference. As the implications of Mei's explanation sunk in, Tamaki could do little more than gape and stare incredulously as the former president approached him. With a great amount of dignity, the tight lipped Mei gave a him single, respectful nod.

"Congratulations, _Suoh._ As of right now, you are our new Club President."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Because it just wouldn't be right if Tamaki's not in charge! XD**

**Now things can really get moving. What do you think Tamaki will do with his new position of power? Take over the school, perhaps!**

**In all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I promise the next one will be more interesting. As I've already said, the story is going to get moving now.  
><strong>


	4. Volunteer Club

"Congratulations, Suoh. As of right now, you are our new Club President."

****

* * *

><p><strong><em>Well, THAT was certainly unexpected.<em>**

**_I haven't even been in this club for two days and now I'm running it. I just became President of a club with no activities and no real purpose. It all seems so… anti-climatic. I don't know if that's the right word, but it's the only one I can think of that comes close to describing how I feel about this._**

**_Does it even matter what position I hold? From what I saw yesterday, being Club President did nothing to impede on Mei's reading time. Am I just going to spend my afternoons sitting around doing nothing while watching the others sit around and do nothing?_**

**_It seemed a much more appealing concept yesterday; before I got received this job, before Kurosawa threatened me, before I finally had a real conversation with Haruhi._**

**_I think that in spite of it all, I'm finally starting to feel something besides gloom again. I keep telling myself I'm going to make the best of things, but something always comes to take that away. I can't stop it, I can't control it. There's nothing I can do but lay down and take it._**

**_Or is there?_**

**_I can't say for sure. All I know is that I don't want to sit quietly anymore. At the same time, I have to keep my head down and do as Katsuo-san tells me so I don't get killed. It's quite the conundrum. I want to have fun and make friends and do something with my life, but I can't put anyone else in harm's way._**

**_There has to be a way around this._**

* * *

><p>Kasumi leaned over.<p>

"Uh… what's he doing?" she hissed in Mei's ear, not taking her eyes off of Tamaki as he went on spacing out.

"I have no idea," Mei answered. "But I have the strangest feeling, like I've just unleashed something dangerous." 

* * *

><p>The next day saw just the scene one would expect after the final bell rang: complete pandemonium as students packed the not-wide-enough hallways, trying to get to their lockers or their club meetings or both. Numerous voices mixed and meshed together to form a veritable storm of unintelligible chatter. Unless you were standing right next to someone and really paying attention, you probably wouldn't be able to hear a thing amidst it.<p>

Knowing this made Haruhi wish all the more that the crowd would clear up and she could discreetly edge away from the talkative boy beside her. Tamaki-senpai had been all but hunting her down since this morning, appearing during her lunch period and even while she was walking to her next class. Every time, he would wave furiously and call her name, the bright, shining happiness in his expression making her wonder if this was really the same solemn person she'd gotten used to seeing.

He always wanted to take about one thing, and one thing only. It didn't really come as a shock, he had just gotten the job after all and was probably still dealing with the sudden power shift. Haruhi used the word 'power' loosely, of course, and it became abundantly clear to her as the day wore on that she and Tamaki weren't exactly on the same page about what the word meant here.

"I was thinking a lot yesterday about new things we could introduce to the club. I'm still new of course, so any changes will have to happen gradually, but I thought maybe we could start having group discussions. I'm not sure what we'd talk about yet or whether it would function as a debate or just an exchange of ideas… Maybe we could have everyone make a list of their interests and pick some topics from that. I'm sure we can find something we all have in common!"

And for that matter, why was he talking to her about this? Mei was his predecessor, why wasn't he following her around and getting advice from her about his Club duties?

_'Because Mei would just tell him to keep everything Status Quo,'_ a little voice in her head whispered as Haruhi stopped in front of her locker and entered the familiar combination into her school issued padlock. _'And he clearly doesn't want to do that.'_

"I know Kohaku is interested in politics and business management. She sure had a lot of questions for me yesterday about my family's business dealings and my opinion on the government's current economic plan. To be honest, I didn't really know what to tell her. I haven't been paying much attention to that sort of thing as of late. My tutor keeps me up to date on current events, but… hey, there's an idea. We could form study groups!"

Haruhi sighed and clicked the door shut, throwing her repacked bag over one shoulder. By now, things were starting to die down, but she still found herself getting accidentally pushed here and there while Tamaki went on espousing his supposed brilliance.

"Aren't mid-term in another two months? It's never too early to start hitting the books! We could also use this as a method of learning how to better act as a group. We could delegate responsibility for covering certain subjects. I could do language for one. Kohaku could do history… and maybe we could even get our classmates involved! Wouldn't that be great, think of all the friends we'd make. By the way, what subject would you want to take, Haruhi?"

At the sound of her name, Haruhi's patience finally wore itself out and she whirled around to face him.

"Senpai," she said exasperatedly. "A study group is a nice idea, but you do realize that we're not supposed to do anything at club meetings, right? That was the whole point of Mei starting it."

It was like she'd reached out and turned off a light bulb. Tamaki's easy cheer was gone in the blink of an eye. His smile vanished and his glow diminished into nothing. The shift was far more noticeable than it should have been, and Haruhi felt inexplicably unnerved by it. The saving grace was that he hadn't gone back to his misery, or at least not outwardly. He didn't look sad, just confused, and maybe even a little reproachful.

"I don't mean to question you," Haruhi went on, not liking the silence one bit. "I know you have first say, but please understand that when we made this club, it was specifically because… well honestly, we don't want to do any club activities."

Tamaki blinked, the first display of emotion she'd seen from him in over a minute.

"Why not?" he asked with all the sincerity of a child who'd just heard someone say they didn't believe in Santa Claus.

Haruhi was a bit taken aback by this, and it took her a little longer to answer.

"Why?" she repeated. "We all have our reasons. For example, I joined because the school rules say everyone needs at least one extracurricular activity on their transcript, but I don't have time to spend on club business."

Tamaki pursed his lips more and more as she went on, and Haruhi paused when she caught him glancing over her shoulder at something. Looking in that direction revealed nothing or interest besides the white washed floors and her school bag.

"You spend a lot of time on your school work," he observed. "That's right. You're the top in all of your classes, aren't you? I can see why."

Haruhi adjusted the shoulder strap, now becoming aware of how heavy the five or six books crammed inside really were. His expectant eyes and easy smile betrayed that he wouldn't be saying anything until she did, much to Haruhi's growing displeasure.

"Next year will be my last in middle school, and I'm not just going to have schoolwork to worry about, but also entrance exams. I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to get into a good High School and College. Once I'm through with that, there's also law school to consider…"

"Law school?" Tamaki repeated, making Haruhi's insides jolt.

_'Did I really say that last part aloud?'_ she thought to herself, fingers twitching with a desire to slap herself for not thinking before she spoke. Haruhi just knew from an entire day of being around him that her senpai would certainly jump on that bit of information.

Lo and behold…

"That's a wonderful goal," Tamaki squealed as he grasped Haruhi by the shoulders, pulling the unwilling girl into a bear hug. "I bet you'll make a great lawyer someday, Haruhi! You're already so smart and all. I bet every law school in the country will want you."

"You're getting a bit ahead of yourself," Haruhi's response was muffled by a her mouthful of his open blazer. "And can you please let go of me?"

Tamaki would eventually do just that, but not before spinning her around a time or two while proclaiming to a non-existent audience the amazing things she'd apparently do as a high power attorney. Haruhi was beginning to get the feeling that he didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but that this was him attempting in his own weird way to compliment her.

It was a nice gesture, but she could have done without the hugging and the gushing. She got more than enough of that from her dad every single day.

When she was freed from his grasp, Haruhi took a moment to run her hands done her buttoned up coat and smooth out the newly formed wrinkles. When she looked back up, Tamaki was frowning at her.

"But Haruhi," he said. "Don't you realize that Colleges like it when you participate in extra curricular activities?"

Haruhi blinked, shaking off the double take she'd done at Tamaki's near instantaneous switch from 'overly bouncy happy' to 'stern and serious.' The way he bore down on her, gentle yet unrelenting, left her taken aback and unable to think up an immediate response as she would have liked.

"That's why I'm in the club," she argued. "Sure we don't do much, but it still counts as extra curricular _and_ it gives me more time to study."

She'd be fooling herself if she believed Tamaki would be satisfied with that. His complete lack of a reaction aside from staring harder was confirmation enough. Then he sighed and shook his head, releasing her from his gaze as he took to walking up and down the width of the hall.

"But how would you write that on a transcript?" he queried, thoughtful eyes finding her again.

Haruhi furrowed her brow. "You mean… how would I describe the club?"

"Who knows if they'll want you to or not? I don't mean to be rude or intrusive, but I wonder how you would explain such a club to College recruiters should that be the case."

From there, both parties were silent. Tamaki waited calmly for Haruhi to say something, Haruhi wanted more and more to walk away and not finish this conversation. In her mind's eye, she tried to visualize the College Applications she'd downloaded online, looking for anything that might indicate they needed a full description of the clubs and teams applicants had been a part of, rather than just the names. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made that they might, and she was not at all pleased with the notion that this overemotional, and frankly kind of idiotic, 'President' of hers had figured that out before her.

At least he wouldn't be smug about it, he'd probably just try to hug her again. Haruhi took an unconscious step backwards, putting a little more distance between them.

"You see? I want us to do more than just sit around," Tamaki said, soft and more to himself than anyone else as he slowed to a stop. "We should be getting out there and being involved."

"I'm sorry, but don't you need to keep a low profile?" Haruhi was unable to hide her irritation, but at the moment didn't care.

Tamaki paused, his foot caught in mid air and coming down harder than before. She watched him bite his lip and lower his head.

"That's why I was hoping we could figure something out that wouldn't put me in the spotlight. I know I can't be the center of attention, but I don't want to be out in the cold either," he paused, his hands curling into fists as he looked wistfully into the distance. "I don't know how long I'm going to be here. I may never get my old life back, so I want to make this a good experience and have friends. I don't want another day like yesterday. If I could just figure out something we could all do together..."

Tamaki ran fingers through his hair, leaning his elbow against the lockers as his speech devolved into mumbling. Whatever he was saying, it reached Haruhi's ears as little more than gibberish.

_'He really is into this, isn't he?'_ she thought to herself.

Further speculation on Tamaki's newfound dedication was rendered moot when a loud shriek pierced the air like a knife. It came from behind a door, with a massive window taking up the bottom half, where light sniffles could be heard, accompanied by a soft female voice speaking in low, soothing tones. Tamaki and Haruhi glanced at each other for a second, then the former took off.

Haruhi followed almost immediately, though she wasn't sure how willing she was to go and possibly listen in on another stranger's private conversation. Hadn't it worked out great the first time?

Haruhi leaned low, while Tamaki had to outright crouch down due to his height. Peering inside, they found a normal class with the desks in disarray. Several of them also had papers sloppily thrown here and there. One near the middle was taken up by what appeared to be an unfinished poster. It was plain white with writing in the middle. Only the top part of the phrase was outlined in thick blue marker, leaving the bottom a mystery. What Haruhi could see were the words: **'COME SEE US AT-'**

Looking away, she was unsurprised to find that the source of the sudden screaming fit had indeed come from here. Three students, one male and two female, sat in a huddle near the very back corner of the room. The boy was in the middle and had his head down and wrapped in his arms. The shaking of his shoulders and the two girls' worried faces as they rubbed his back comfortingly gave her a good idea what was going on.

"Aren't they in the Drama Club?" she wondered aloud.

By now, Haruhi was staring so intently at the glass, it came as a real shock when the wooden part of the door suddenly obstructed her view. It was at this time she finally realized that Tamaki was standing back up and pushing the door wide open, exposing them to the trio inside. Two female heads shot up at the disturbance, the boy didn't move an inch.

Haruhi's mouth fell open, but she couldn't find appropriate words to express what she was feeling at the moment, and Tamaki was faster than her anyway.

"Good afternoon," he said with a courteous bow. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but I couldn't help overhearing your friend's distress."

The two girls, one whom Haruhi vaguely recognized as a third year in Tamaki's class, glanced down at the boy, embarrassed redness creeping up their cheeks. The boy, sensing the attention directed at him, lifted his head a crack. It wasn't much, but now Haruhi could clearly see tearstains running down his face. Loathed she was to admit it, but this piqued her own curiosity and made her almost forget her exasperation with Tamaki and his nosiness.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the boy. "Your friend, he's not sick, is he?"

The girl on the right rolled her eyes. "Only if being a drama queen counts as a disease now."

The boy slammed his hands on the desk, startling everyone with his sudden ferocity. He grabbed the sarcastic girl by the collar and shook.

"What are talking about, Konimi?" he demanded through fresh, angry tears. "I am perfectly justified in being upset right now, or do you not understand the weight of our predicament? DON'T YOU SEE, WE MIGHT HAVE TO SHUT DOWN!"

Konimi was not moved.

"Take your hands off me," she deadpanned. "And you're blowing this way out of proportion. The play is not in any trouble, we're just short a few stagehands."

"Um…" the other girl chose now to speak up, one quivering hand rising into the air unnecessarily. "Actually, the last two we had pulled out earlier today. That's why I called this meeting… so, you know, we could discuss it..."

Following a brief pause, during which the boy adopted a look not unlike a puppy that had been kicked and deprived of food, there came a loud cry as he flattened his face against the desk and let loose a river of tears.

"We're doomed…" he sobbed incoherently. "The play… all that work… _my life…_ it's _oveeeeeer_."

Nothing he said after this could be made out. The more sensitive girl rubbed his shoulders while holding back her own tears. Konimi groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, looking away from the spectacle. Haruhi was feeling more awkward by the second. She wished Tamaki could have been a little less friendly. It wasn't like their was anything they could do to help.

She wanted to tell him this, and ask that they please excuse themselves now, but when she looked at him, something told her that wasn't going to happen. Though his eyes were dry, Tamaki's fists were clenched, and his lip quivered like a girl watching a teen drama. In a flash, he was away from her side and in front of the distraught young man.

"Excuse me, um…" he trailed off, glancing at the two girls.

"Ichirou," the sensitive girl supplied.

"Ichirou," Tamaki repeated with a grateful smile. "My friend, how many stagehands do you need?"

Ichirou's shoulders shook, so hard it almost looked dangerous. He didn't move otherwise, but breathed deeply to ease his hysterics.

"We-we," he gasped out. "…bou… 'bout five would be good."

Haruhi looked away. It seemed the very air around her was now changing, it's dismal gloom fading. She didn't even have to open her eyes to see the smile growing on her Club President's face. Tamaki, in the short time that she'd known him, wore his emotions like gloves on his sleeves. She knew exactly where this was going, what he was about to do.

"Ichirou-kun," his gentle voice rang out. "I have a proposal for you." 

* * *

><p>"YOU IDIOT!"<p>

An unused, bound notebook sailed just over Tamaki's head, the sixth so far. He was ducking behind an overturned desk, hands wrapped around inky black hair in a futile attempt at protection. Any second now, Mei's rage could spill over completely, and she'd stop trying to attack from far away and come over. Then he'd be in real trouble. Shaking furiously, Tamaki lifted his head, just enough to see the very top of her hair and none of her frightening expression.

"Mei," he said weakly. "Please, let's talk about this calmly. It's a good opportunity for us to-"

He was cut off by anther book, this one a heavy textbook. Though it went well over his head and Mei had probably meant for it to, Tamaki still let out a high pitched scream and dove for cover. His body flattened out with the side of his face pressed against freezing cold tiles. Fast approaching footsteps made his heart stop.

"You can't hide anymore, _Suoh_," Mei growled his true name out like a curse. "I'm going to kick your ass _so hard_..."

"Mei, hang on a minute."

"Back off, Kasumi! Don't try and stop me. I'm gonna beat his face in and then let everyone know what a liar he is! Let's see you mess around with my club then!"

"WAIT!"

Tamaki sprang to his face, all fear of Mei's wrath eclipsed by a greater danger. He drew in breath and got to his feet, holding out his hand in surrender. This had the effect of softening Mei's scowl, as well as gaining the attention of the other club members and several people walking by the open door, who slowed for a moment before continuing on. Tamaki swallowed, holding back horrific images of what might happen should Mei make good on her threat.

"Mei," he said. "I understand that you're upset. I know this club meant a lot to you and being forced to give it up hurts. It was never my intention to dishonor you. I just really believe that we should do this. The school play is important to the Drama Club, and working as stage crew will be good for us. We'll meet new people and learn more about what goes into putting on a show, doesn't that sound exciting?"

He put on a big, innocent grin, but neither it, nor his words seemed to have any effect on Mei. Her frown was still etched in and her face remained red. At least she wasn't clenching her fists, as if preparing to knock his lights out, anymore. Though Tamaki didn't break eye contact, his side vision caught sight of something colorful right beside her. He noted that it was probably another of Mei's fashion magazines, and that set off a light bulb in his head.

"Maybe you could help out with the costume designing," he suggested. "I'm sure they'd appreciate an extra opinion."

"Why would I care about that?" Mei shouted, but there was no bite behind it and the way she bit down on her lip and looked away briefly spoke louder than any words.

Tamaki felt like laughing, so great was his relief. If he could just convince Mei, the other girls would be easy. Kasumi already had no objections (though she hadn't express much interest either) and Kohaku wasn't even paying attention now that Mei had stopped trying to throw her school supplies at his head. He turned to Haruhi. The girl alternated between watching the confrontation and staring at the window. Her desk was bare, not a book or a pencil in sight. Were Tamaki not busy with Mei, he might've had more time to wonder what she was thinking about.

A chair skidded out, pushed by Kohaku so she could stand and place herself in the middle of the fight.

"How about we take a vote?" she suggested, sideways glancing at Tamaki and Mei in quick succession. "It'd be better than doing this all day. What do you say, Pres?"

At first, Tamaki didn't realize she was talking to him, due in equal parts to Kohaku not looking at him and his bafflement at the nickname she'd given him. He blinked stupidly at her for a few seconds before it all clicked into place.

"Oh! Yeah, that's a great idea!" he proclaimed, hoping that he'd covered himself well enough. "Alright. All in favor of-"

"Just for the record, your vote only counts as one," Mei interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't pull any 'I'm the leader so my vote matters more' crap."

Kasumi smirked. "Isn't that what you did last year when we were deciding how to avoid Culture Week?"

Mei shushed her.

"O-okay," Tamaki said, though less confidently than before. "Every vote counts as one. So, how many say yes?"

He raised his hand high, trying not to pause and think on how many others would do the same. Ideally, everyone would, but no matter how much Tamaki's optimistic side told him that his compelling arguments and gracious manner had won the girls over, slivers of doubt still hung over him. In the end, only one other hand went up, and Tamaki's heart sunk.

"Kasumi!" Mei shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the girl's extending arm. "What are you doing siding with him?"

Kasumi snorted as she brought her free hand up to her arm and stretched back. "Last I checked, _he's_ the President now. Besides, it might be fun."

Mei ground her teeth, muttering something under her breath about 'getting her later.' Tamaki decided immediately that he didn't care to know what that meant, and that he hoped Kasumi's home had strong locks and windows.

"Alright, how many people vote 'no?'" Mei asked without waiting for Tamaki. Her hand shot up, as did Kohaku's. When Tamaki gave her a hurt look, she shrugged.

"Sorry Pres, I'm not really big on artsy drama crap."

Exhaling through his nose, Tamaki went over the poll count in his head. He and Kasumi voted yes, Mei and Kohaku voted no. That only left…

"Haruhi," Mei's handed slammed down on Haruhi's desk, but the latter didn't flinch. She did look away from the window however, frowning in annoyance. "You don't want to do this, right? I know you only joined because you want to study without being bothered. This stage crew thing would be putting way too much on you."

"Hey!" the affronted Tamaki charged forward. "You can't coerce her into voting the way your want, that's just dirty. Besides, Haruhi is more than smart enough to handle the workload. It's only a couple of hours a day for the next two weeks, surely it's not that much time spent. What do you think, Haruhi?"

"Oh, _now_ who's coercing?" Mei said before throwing her head back and laughing.

Tamaki narrowed his eyes. Much as he didn't want to think anything bad about his friends in the club, Mei was really starting to get to him with her cocky attitude. It wasn't befitting of a pretty girl, but then he already knew that some commoner girls would do to make themselves less so.

Brushing that aside, Tamaki rounded once again on Haruhi. The girl had gone back to staring into space, and even when he kneeled before her, gave no response to his presence until he cleared his throat.

"Haruhi, I know your future is important to you, it is to me too. I want to see you reach your dream, and I really think this will help you. It's not just because of your transcript, but also think about the experience it'll give you. You can't just isolate yourself, not if you want to be a lawyer. Haruhi, you're better than that."

In the pause that followed, Haruhi was completely blank faced, the barest of frowns visible. Tamaki noticed that her eyes always looked much bigger and cuter when she was this way, and felt heat rising in his cheeks. Haruhi's fingers drummed on the desk, picking up little speed. She glanced down, then back up again.

"What makes you care so much?" she asked suddenly. "You don't know me that well."

Tamaki shook his head. "Not yet, but I'd like to."

In the background, in between fuming and boiling with frustration, something registered in Mei's mind as she watched Tamaki and Haruhi stare at each other. The latter pursed her lips, inhaling and exhaling heavily through her nose, while everyone waited with varying degrees of patience for her tie breaking decision. The seconds snailed by, making Tamaki increasingly nervous and fearful that she would side with Mei. Then Haruhi gave a sigh, and looked at him resolutely.

"I guess… it wouldn't hurt to try." 

* * *

><p>Tamaki didn't know how he'd gone this long without breaking his back, but the weight of the dozen wooden prop trees was taking it's painfully slow time in crushing him. He pushed back with all his strength, but it wasn't enough. Not even the two on either side of him were making much of a difference, and everyone who walked by was too busy going over their lines or preparing other portions of the set to notice them. They were left alone, trying to prevent the stack of expensive wood from getting scratched or broken on the messy concrete floor.<p>

"This is all your fault! You can forget about us ever doing lunch once I'm Prime Minster," Kohaku hissed at Tamaki, who gulped and looked away.

The other member of their impromptu rescue team wasn't doing much better.

"Why are these so heavy?" Haruhi groaned, bending her knees lowering and taking her end of the trees with her.

The others struggled to make up the difference, but it was too much on them. Beads of sweat tickled Tamaki's cheeks as they slid down from his forehead. He was reminded of all the times his limousine drove past construction sites, all the men walking around carrying huge metal pipes over their well muscled shoulders. Especially in the summer months, they often went without shirts, revealing skin that was red from working under the hot sun. He wondered if this was how those men felt on a daily basis, only instead of the sun, they had a wandering strobe light, and Mei insisted that it wasn't going to burn them any time soon.

Speaking of Mei, the ganguro seemed to have adjusted quite well despite her early complaints. She was currently arguing with the costume designer over the frilly collars on all the dress jackets. Kasumi, meanwhile, was outlining a background in black, to presumably be colored in later. With both girls distracted, and everyone else ignorant of their plight, there was nothing Tamaki, Haruhi or Kohaku could do except try their very hardest to keep the trees up straight until it was time to set them up.

A few more people walked by, including one girl Tamaki knew very well. His heart stopped when she looked up from her script and their eyes met.

"Okada-kun?" Oshiro said, coming over. "You're one of our new stagehands?"

Tamaki glanced around, making sure their was no snarling Kurosawa around before answering.

"Y-yes," he grunted. "I overheard you're friend Ichirou-kun talking about how he needed help, and-"

"And he decided to volunteer us without our permission like an idiot," Kohaku drawled, drowning out Tamaki completely with her volume and sheer rage. "Now we're getting flattened into pancakes. How fun."

Oshiro blinked, then glanced up and let out a gasp.

"Oh! Hang on, I'll go get help!"

With that, she was off, shouting for some people whose names Tamaki didn't know. A few seconds later, she was running back, several young men behind her, including Ichirou.

"You could have just _said_ you were having trouble," Ichirou scolded them once they had managed to fix the trees so they wouldn't fall and relieve Tamaki and the girls of the burden.

"Seriously?" Kohaku stalked up to Ichirou and shoved her face close to his. "You walked by three times when we were trying to keep those stupid things up, and I didn't see you stopping to help."

Ichirou puffed out his chest, his face scrunched up like he was smelling something awful. "First off, get out of my face. The last thing I'd ever want to do is kiss you. Second, I'm the director, and you're the stage crew. My job is the make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone does their jobs. Your job is to set up the props and keep my expensive fake trees from getting broken."

"And how do you expect things to run smoothly when you're an ass who alienates your entire crew?" Kohaku shot back. "You know, I'm starting to understand why the old crew members quit."

"Okay, stop," Haruhi said, having decided now was the time to end it before things got ugly. She took the two combatants by the arms, gently pushing them away from each other. The two continued to glare, but didn't stop her. "Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere, and we all have a lot of work to do, don't we?"

Ichirou eyed her, grinding his teeth as he begrudgingly nodded his head and walked off, still muttering under his breath. Also watching him go was Oshiro, who gave a nervous chuckle and placed her hand on the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry about him, Ichirou's just excited," she explained, bowing slightly. "This play is really important to him."

Haruhi and Tamaki both nodded, but Kohaku gave a 'hmph' and looked away childishly.

"He wrote it on his own, didn't he?" Haruhi asked, motioning at the bound papers in Oshiro's hand.

"Yeah, he did," she said, holding it up so they could just make out the small written text. "It's been his pet project ever since he joined the club last year, when his mom tried to stop him."

"Why did she do that?" Tamaki asked, amazed that any parent would try to stop their children from pursuing their passion.

At this, Oshiro tensed up a bit. She chewed on her lip and glanced around, as if not knowing how to answer the question without it coming out awkward.

"Well you see…" she trailed off. "Ichirou is… well, when he said to Kohaku-chan that he didn't want to kiss her, he was more referring to girls as a whole, if you catch my drift."

Tamaki briefly sought out Ichirou and finding him examining Kasumi's paint drop, giving pointers here and there.

"I see," he said. "So his mother is ashamed of him?"

"Oh no, not at all," Oshiro clarified. Actually, she fully supports him and is happy that he's comfortable enough to share things like this with her."

"It's his being into theater that she doesn't like," Konimi said, wandering over with an armful of blankets. "She thinks it promotes stereotyping. Ichirou says it's because she's passionately liberal or something."

"I hate her already," Kohaku muttered.

A tinkling tune came from Oshiro's pocket, and she reached for her cell phone while smiling apologetically.

"Sorry, I have to take this."

She ambled off in the opposite direction, cheerfully greeting her caller. Now alone (Kohaku lost interest and left some time ago), Tamaki felt a warm hand on his arm, one that made his heart speed up.

"Come on," Haruhi said. "We have more work to do."

He followed wordlessly, letting her guide him towards the back where several boxes full of various props awaited them. Some of them stick out at odd angles and obstructed Tamaki's view as he carried them out to center stage. He almost ran into a few people in his attempts to see out. Haruhi, not quite as bothered, walked silently beside him. It started getting to him around the time they were putting together a vase of fake flowers for the living room set. Haruhi was blank faced as ever and refusing to look away from her work, no matter how many times Tamaki smiled or nodded in her direction.

"Are you having fun?" he asked when he couldn't take it anymore.

She shrugged and still didn't meet his gaze. "It's fine."

Tamaki wasn't sure what to make of that, whether to be satisfied or press for a more detailed answer. He was leaning more towards the latter, but was interrupted at the last second by a voice wafting through the air.

"I don't know what to do about him…"

Tamaki stopped, holding the completed bouquet and empty vase tight in his hands. Oshiro, it seemed, had made it all the way across the stage in her aimless walking. He was amazed nobody had bumped into her, the way all her attention was focused on that phone of hers. Whatever she was talking about, it must have been important.

"He keeps causing trouble and acting out in class. I'm wondering if I should talk to his mother."

Tamaki hadn't moved an inch since first hearing her, a fact that was noticed only by Haruhi. Eye twitching in annoyance, she pulled the flowers and vase away from him and set them up. This action brought Tamaki back to reality, and he was about to apologize profusely when Oshiro's voice rang out again.

"Yeah, I've noticed it too. I think Kurosawa-kun may have threatened Okada-kun."

Tamaki's head whipped around, and it was such a fast and unexpected motion that Haruhi found herself curious, and turned to look as well. Oshiro paced up and down the stage, unaware of the eyes on her.

"I try to talk to him all the time, whenever I see him at home... Well of course I have! We've been neighbors for years."

Oshiro sighed solemnly and stopped to sit on a randomly placed foldout chair.

"Kurosawa-kun used to be so sweet and kind. I don't know what happened…"

She trailed off, ending a call a minute later with a quick good-bye. Even after putting her phone away, Oshiro didn't get back up. She appeared lost in thought, and more unhappy than Tamaki had ever seen her. His stomach twisted unpleasantly. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was a young lady in sorrow, particularly one he considered a friend. Subconsciously, he inched forward. What he would say to her, or how he'd excuse himself to Haruhi, he had no idea. His thought process had only one track at the moment, and that was to make Oshiro smile again and find out what this business about Kurosawa really was.

The doors of the theater suddenly bursting open stopped him, along with everyone else, in their tracks. All eyes went to the light streaming from the setting sun beaming through a window outside. A trio of shadows covered most of it; that they were all rather tall and large helped as well. All three were male and wore their uniforms loosely, jackets unbuttoned and shirts severely wrinkled. Tamaki's stomach dropped when he took a closer look at the one on the far right and recognized him as Sato, one of Kurosawa's equally mean and bullying friends.

Him and the other two looked around distastefully.

"I told you they were still here," the one in the middle scoffed. "Unbelievable that they let these dorks hang around and take away all the best spots."

A tension arose from everyone, making the hairs on Tamaki's neck stand on end. Looking around, it seemed that nobody was fond of the way this boy described them. Even Oshiro was glaring at them.

While the one on the left snickered in agreement, Ichirou came forward, proverbial smoke coming out of his ears. Tamaki backed away, feeling like standing too close to him might be detrimental to his health.

"Hey!" Ichirou called out. His voice boomed across the room even without the aid of a megaphone. The three guys stopped and stared at him. "I don't know if you gentlemen realize, but this is a theater room. It's for performing, not for jocks and slackers to spend their off-time. Now if you have nothing else to say, kindly leave. We have a lot of work to do."

"Oh really?" one of the boys rudely shot back. "I didn't know being a loser was such required effort."

The other nameless boy laughed, but Sato was oddly quiet.

"I just can't believe they actually found guys gay enough to want to do this theater crap," the boy on the left jeered.

All males in the room except for Tamaki narrowed their eyes. One or two looked ready to run over and punch the cocky smirk right off his face. Though he might not have done something so extreme, Tamaki couldn't say he blamed them. All three of these supposed manly men were rather annoying.

To his surprise, it wasn't any of them who spoke up next. It wasn't even a member of the drama club.

"You know, it's not nice to assume things about people," Kohaku said conversationally. "It's always such negative stuff. I mean, I could _assume_ that you three are a herd brain dead monkey people due to your unfocused eyes and ugly faces, but that would just be rude."

Everyone burst out laughing. Ichirou put a grateful hand on Kohaku's shoulder and briefly hugged her to him in thanks. The way they looked now, it was as if their fight had never happened.

The three boys didn't look too happy with being insulted. Only Sato wasn't glaring hatefully. He stood off to the side, staring at the wall and looking highly uncomfortable. Even when the laugher died away, it seemed he couldn't relax.

"Let me just say," Konimi piped up. "I'd much prefer to date one of these guys then someone like you."

"There's nothing better than a man who isn't afraid to partake in so-called 'girly' hobbies," Oshiro added.

The rest of the girls murmured in agreement. The only ones who didn't were Haruhi, who was staring at the floor, unwilling to get involved, and Mei, who was watching her and Tamaki carefully.

The three boys were steaming now. In the face of these people who had no fear of them, they didn't know what to do. Finally, Sato grabbed his friends' arms, leading them out and telling them not to waste anymore time with 'the dork club.' They filed out one by one, not stopping to look back and slamming the door behind them.

A few people applauded and Ichirou gave Kohaku another pat on the back. Otherwise, everyone quickly got back to work and it wasn't long before Ichirou was calling for all crew members to leave the stage so they could rehearse.

Tamaki and Haruhi walked past the curtains, meeting up with the others, who were all huddled in front of a set of spare lockers.

"So," Tamaki greeted them. "Are you enjoying yourselves?"

The three girls glanced at each other, as if telepathically debating on how to answer. During this, Tamaki looked again to Haruhi. She had seated herself on a messy table, brushing scraps of paper and cloth out of her way first. When his eyes fell on her, she smiled politely, but didn't answer.

"It's…" Mei started, pursing her lips. "It's not so bad, I guess."

"I don't care much for the heavy lifting," Kasumi admitted. "But painting the backgrounds was actually pretty fun."

"Whatever," Kohaku shrugged indifferently.

Though it wasn't quite what Tamaki wanted to hear, he clapped his hands and cheered all the same. Several of the cast members shushed him.

"How wonderful!" he said, jumping up in the air. "I just knew this was a good idea!"

"Yeah, sure, great for you…" Mei muttered flatly. Her scowl then turned to a devilish smile. "So what about you? I bet you're having a blast hanging with Haruhi here, right Suoh?"

His smile fell. Mei's question hit him right as he was in the air, and he had to struggle to not fall on his behind coming back down. It was like a record scratching in his head. One minute happy music was playing, the next dead silence. Tamaki didn't even care that she'd called him by his real name again.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked robotically, which did little to help his cause and a lot for Mei's ego.

"Don't play dumb," she said, waving a finger in his face. "I think we all know you guys have a thing for each other."

And thus, Mei now had two flustered and red faced people staring at her.

"What?" Tamaki and Haruhi cried in unison. 

* * *

><p>He stared out his window, watching a bird fly by and land on the ledge of the building across the way. It poked it's little head into the nest, feeding it's young no doubt.<p>

Looking away, he ran the dirty white cloth up and down the barrel of his gun, cleaning away all dirt and fingerprints. When it was shining clean, he threw the rag aside, satisfied and ready to get on to more important matters, like finding out how the geniuses he was oh so lucky enough to have in his employment were doing on their assignment.

Out came his cell phone and he punched in the familiar numbers. It only took one ring for someone to come on. His men knew very well that he didn't like waiting.

"Good afternoon, sir," the voice on the other end said respectfully.

"Any progress?"

There was a pause, during which his frown deepened into a snarl. If this idiot hung up on him, he was going to be waking up one morning with certain limbs missing very shortly.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. We're working around the clock to find him."

"Then either he's extremely well hidden," he said slowly, like he was talking to a slow child. "Or you're just incompetent, aren't you?"

"I- I-"

"Save it," he ordered. "Find Tamaki Suoh and call me back by the end of the week or there will be dire consequences. I'm sure you remember what happened to the last person who disappointed me. Take some time to decide what you like better: your eyes or your ears."

He hung up, not caring to hear the idiot beg for mercy or cry like a baby. Throwing the phone onto his unmade bed, he closed his eyes and leaned back in his easy chair as far as it would go. This was the only way he was ever comfortable when in a bad mood.

"I swear, it's so hard to find good help these days."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So things are moving forward and changing, all thanks to Tamaki. XD**

**Not that it'll really be this easy, of course.**

**On a side note, I'd originally intended for Kohaku to call Tamaki 'Boss' the way Hikaru and Kaoru do in canon. I decided against it in the end because I want her to be her own character and not just a parallel to the twins. So Tamaki is 'Pres' to her instead.**


	5. Karaoke Club

To say that Haruhi was annoyed with her dear friend Mei for the remainder of rehearsal and all of the next day would be a massive understatement. Ever since the ganguro's random insistence that she and Tamaki Suoh/Okada were meant to be, Haruhi really didn't know how to be around Mei without a fierce desire to scream in her face. She was too composed for that, of course. Had she acted upon these feelings, the result would more likely be a stern talking to. It would be about as effective as the first option, that being not at all. Mei was a brick wall, when she convinced herself of something, nothing and no one could sway her. It could be staring her right in the face, the truth of the matter, and if it contradicted Mei's viewpoint, it would be disregarded like yesterday's garbage.

Even knowing this, Haruhi wasn't about to let this one slide. Mei needed to be put in her place. She needed to know the real, honest truth and accept it, whether she wanted to or not. The question was, how did Haruhi get her to that point?

"Mei, for the thousandth time," she rubbed her forehead with slow yet firm movements. "Whatever you thought you saw between me and Tamaki-senpai was nothing more than friendship. No, not even friendship! We're more like acquaintances. I did only just meet him three days ago."

Though Haruhi's argument made perfect sense (as far as she was concerned), it only took one look at Mei's smug smile to know that everything she said was going in one ear and out the other. Mei took a bite out of the apple in her hand, leftover from a lunch she'd barely eaten. She aimed and tossed the core at the garbage can across the room, missing by a good three feet. As a disgruntled Kasumi went to dispose of it properly, Mei honed in on Haruhi and her equally unmovable disposition.

"And in those three days, what's happened?" Mei paused for a second, pretending to think. "You… got his attention, you got him to like you, you found common ground with him, and now you're bonding with him. You even went along with his Stage Crew idea, which we both know you'd never do if I had been the one to suggest it. This is simple math right here. It's all pointing in the same direction."

"No, it isn't," Haruhi answered, absently tapping a mechanical pencil against her desk top. "Most of that stuff is at least partially true, but all it means is that was are becoming _friends_. Friends, and nothing more. As for the Stage Crew, I realized that it would look good on my transcript and it's only for a few weeks anyway. It has nothing to do with Senpai or me supposedly having feelings for him. Which I don't. He's not even my type."

"You don't have a type, Haruhi!"

"Thank you, Kohaku," Mei shouted to the girl, who nodded and went back to her magazine. She held it up high, as if that would protect her from the glare Haruhi sent her way.

"You haven't proven anything," Haruhi muttered. She grabbed a book out of her bag and opened it to a random page. Her head dropped, but she couldn't focus on the written words. If she just stayed like this long enough, Mei might believe she really was reading and drop the subject.

"Oh, don't be like that," Mei said, leaning in close. "I'm just trying to help you. You've got all these guys with crushes on you and you never notice. Here, we have a nice, handsome young fellow who wants to actually get to know you and listen to what you have to say. I can guarantee at least half of those love confessions came from guys who saw a cute face and nothing more."

"That still isn't concrete evidence," Haruhi said while flicking the pages of her book, only to look up a second later as something else hit her. "And what do you mean 'love confessions'?"

Mei gave her an incredulous look and said nothing. Somewhere in the background, Haruhi was sure she could hear laughter, probably Kohaku's. She thought back to all the times her male classmates had come up to her stuttering and tripping over their words, asking odd questions about the weather and what day it was. Where those the love confessions Mei was talking about? Haruhi thought about it for another moment, then shook her head.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter. Mei, thank you for the uh… concern, but I'm perfectly clear on my opinion of Senpai. He's a nice person with a good heart and I admire his desire to help people. That's all."

"That's _all?_" Mei repeated, bearing down on her friend.

Haruhi looked away, the intensity of Mei's gaze burning through her and weakening her resolve. She endure a short while longer before giving a sigh.

"Alright," she said. "I do like talking to him. He's actually pretty smart and we like a lot of the same books. That still proves nothing. A similar taste in literature is not something to base a relationship on."

"How about mutual attraction?" Mei suggested innocently.

Haruhi thought about it. "That would be a good start, except I am not attracted to him."

"Then why are you getting so defensive?"

"I'm not!"

Mei stifled a giggle, and it was just enough for Haruhi to realize her mistake and look away, grinding her teeth in frustration.

"It's not that bad, Haruhi," Mei went on, clearly proud of herself. "It's a really good thing, actually. I think you two will make a great couple someday soon."

Haruhi grumbled, but didn't answer. All she wanted now was for Mei to just drop it. Even if she was leaving the argument technically defeated and Mei was going to be lording this over her for weeks to come. For now, Haruhi was struck by an unexpected burst of good luck when Kohaku suddenly looked up from her newspaper.

"Not to add fuel to the fire, but I've given it some thought, and I have to agree with Haruhi one at least one thing. No good romance can be formed on liking the same book."

Mei rolled her eyes. "That is hardly the point here, Kohaku."

"I know, I'm just saying," Kohaku answered indifferently, going back to her newspaper.

It was too late for that, however. Mei was thoroughly annoyed with her younger friend and on the move, charging to her desk where she proceeded to rip the newspaper from Kohaku's hand and begin the debate anew. This action had the affect of enraging Kohaku, leaving her highly susceptible Mei's goading. With Kasumi reaching immediately for her ipod and Tamaki not there yet, Haruhi was left to cover her ears and try in vain to read her book and drown them out through engrossing herself in the written word.

Through a combination of the yelling and Haruhi's own conflicted thoughts, this was rendered nearly impossible. She read a single sentence at least five times before pushing the book aside in frustration. She covered her ears, successfully muffling the noise, but nothing more. It was at least enough that she could think straight again, but this may not have been the best thing, because her mind was on Tamaki.

He was an interesting person, that was for sure. It seemed that once you got past his downtrodden face, he was actually very spirited. He'd been so quick in jumping to the Drama Club's aid. He hadn't even considered what the rest of them would think about it, and Haruhi didn't know whether that was a more endearing or annoying quality of his. All that was clear at this point was that there were many different sides to the club's new President. She would never say it out loud, especially not for Mei to hear, but she was interested in learning more. Of course, that was mainly dependent on whether or not she went ahead with the idea she'd been kicking around since last night…

A knocking drew her from her thoughts, as well as snapping everyone else, save Kasumi, to attention. Standing in the doorway was Tamaki, smiling warmly as his brown eyes shone brighter than ever before. Haruhi found she really liked that. He looked much better when he was happy.

"Afternoon, ladies," he said with a slight wave of his hand. "Please don't get too comfortable, we need to be at the auditorium in ten minutes."

He looked at Haruhi and gave her a nod. She responded with a smile of her own, and instantly regretted it when she saw Mei's toothy grin of superiority out the corner of her eye. When Haruhi ignored it, Mei targeted Tamaki instead. She fast approached, Tamaki had no time to turn his head before she was right in front of him.

"Glad you made it, Suoh," she said, her voice softer, as if for once making an actual effort to hide his identity. "We were just talking about you."

Haruhi glared at her, a useless move considering Mei's back was to her. It made her feel a bit better at the very least.

"Were you?" Tamaki asked bewildered.

"Oh yes," Mei answered. "We were saying how much we really appreciate all that you've done for us. I know we were skeptical at first, but joining the stage crew really was a good move. I think we can all agree with that, right guys?"

"Right," Kohaku said distractedly.

Kasumi was lost in her music and said nothing.

Haruhi just gave a nod, and wouldn't have even done that had Tamaki not been watching her.

"But enough about that. I've been thinking," Mei went on. "This weekend's shaping up to be a borefest, so I'm going to treat everyone to food and karaoke on Saturday!"

This got Haruhi's attention like nothing else thus far. She was on her feet in an instant, ready to object and remind Mei of their first and last attempt at a karaoke night. What a disaster that had been. Haruhi found out something important about Tamaki that day. It came to her right at that moment, when Tamaki beat her to the punch with a long and dramatic gasp.

"Really?" he breathed. "Oh, this is wonderful! Going off to have some real fun like real commoners! I'm so excited. Thank you Mei, you beautiful person, you."

He hugged her tight, spinning around on one heel with a happy laugh. When he let go, Mei was bright red in the face and dizzy. She stumbled trying to catch her balance, then let out a breath.

"I'm glad you're into it," she said.

"Oh, I'm more than just into it!" Tamaki cheered. His next victim was Haruhi, whom he held a much longer time than he had Mei, though that might have just been Haruhi's imagination. Her face was shoved into his chest, revealing his deceptively strong grip and that he used some kind of unscented body spray.

He let her go eventually, and Haruhi backed up in an effort to avoid a repeat performance. Despite that, she was only moderately annoyed by it rather than intensely annoyed. This didn't change the fact that his enthusiasm was highly disproportionate. All this over a simple day at the karaoke bar?

_'It's almost like he's never been out with friends before.'_

* * *

><p>Saturday came far quicker than anyone could have guessed. Tamaki was all but bouncing off the walls with happiness as he sat between Haruhi and Kasumi at the karaoke bar. It was a small place, much smaller than the more popular one several blocks down. Tamaki had never been there of course, and so he really couldn't make an accurate comparison. According to a strangely bitter Mei, the other one was not only bigger, but had better lighting, better food, and a wider selection of songs to choose from. Tamaki glanced out the window at the nearby row of houses, his own somewhere in the midst. A familiar black car was parked right outside, and through the glare from the sun, Tamaki could just see the outline of Katsuo's face. His bodyguard watched them like a hawk, likely polishing one of his many guns at the same time.<p>

"Thanks for agreeing to go to the local one, Mei," he said apologetically to the girl at the end of the row.

She replied with a shrug. "Hey, it's your day. Might as well do it your way too."

"I really did want to go to the other place," Tamaki insisted, lowering his voice a few degrees as a waiter came by and placed their drinks in front of them. "It's just that Katsuo-san thought it best if I stick close to home. Strictly speaking, I'm not even supposed to be out of the house except for school."

"Wow, that's pretty crazy," Kohaku muttered.

_'It's for my own protection,'_ Tamaki's mind repeated the words Katsuo-san said almost daily. Whenever he had doubts or became antsy and wanted to go outside, his bodyguard would without fail hit him with that. He was a large man, Katsuo-san, and Tamaki had yet to ever win such an argument with him. In the end, it was usually better to just accept it and go back to his room. Another reason to be ecstatic for this wonderful day with his new friends.

"Does everyone know what they're ordering?" the waiter asked, tapping his pen against the pad of paper.

"Oh!" Tamaki shot up excitedly. "Do you serve bento here? I've always wanted to try it."

The waiter gave him a funny look, but Tamaki was too lost in his daydreams of being surrounded by delicious bento meals to notice. After taking everyone else's orders, the waiter left the room.

"What was with that?" Mei asked.

Tamaki needed a moment to realize that she was talking specifically to him. He blinked dumbly.

"What was what?"

Mei motioned at the door the waiter had just walked out of.

"This 'commoner' thing of yours," she elaborated, hands on her hips. "I'm wondering if I should find it offensive."

"Not at all!" Tamaki said, raising his own hands as if to appease her. "It's just that I've always been interested in how those less well off than I am live their lives. The middle class makes up a huge percentage of the population, far more than the upper class. It makes me curious. How do they earn money? what they eat? What do they wear? How they spend their free time…"

He trailed off. Mei was still staring at him, along with all the other girls now, but her face was softening. With a roll of her eyes, she leaned her head back against the cushioned wall. Kohaku and Kasumi looked rather thoughtful, for some unexplained reason. Tamaki had looked away at the table and was playing with his straw when Mei shot up like a rocket and skipped over to the machine.

"Okay," she said perkily. "Let's get this party started! I call first dibs!"

She was met with low, indifferent murmurs of agreement. This probably wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for as she sucked in a hard breath. Tamaki picked up an upbeat tune seconds later. It confused him at first, since the sounds were too soft and the machine didn't even appear to be turned on yet. He raised his hand.

"Excuse me, Mei," he said. "Did you start already?"

Now Mei looked even more irritated. "No, it's the people next door. These stupid walls are way too thin. And yes, that's another thing that's better about the other place."

As she spoke, Mei crossed the room to where they were sitting and banged on the wall with her fist. Her actions were loud and fast, making Tamaki jump and almost knock into Haruhi.

"Hey, keep it down in there!" Mei shouted.

"Why don't you?" was the barely audible response from next door.

Mei growled, but backed off. She was still fuming about it while activating the machine and choosing a song. 

* * *

><p>"Why don't you?!" Ichirou shouted at the terribly rude, yet oddly familiar sounding person next door. "Man, the nerve of some people."<p>

"I don't blame them," Konimi said, kicking her feet up on the table, pushing aside half eaten plates of food and sipping her soda. "The sound-proofing in this place sucks. Why didn't we go to the one in town again?"

Ichirou glared at her, then winced. The current singer was diving into a dreadfully off-key interpretation of the final verse as their song came to a merciful end.

"Quit bringing that up and get ready. Your turn is next." 

* * *

><p>Mei fiddled with the machine, taking more time than Tamaki imagined was necessary. She muttered curses and little phrases such as 'stupid thing,' and 'the other place is so much better,' all the while and never seemed to make any progress. She almost lost her balance at one point, grabbing blindly for the microphone stand which somehow caused it to issue some ugly feedback. Tamaki winced at the sound, happy that it only lasted a few seconds, and was directly followed by a cry of triumph from Mei.<p>

The screen was a neon blue, the words appearing were a message of welcome and a start button. Mei pressed it, leading to a list of songs to choose from. Her finger hovered over it, going up and down again and again until she finally found something suitable and picked it.

She walked to the microphone as the music started and smiling out at the group.

"I just want to dedicate this to all my wonderful friends!" she announced. "You too, Kohaku."

Kohaku gave her a flat look.

Mei sang her song loud and passionate. It was around four minutes, and she had everyone's complete attention, Tamaki's especially. There was really no other choice when her singing was so out of control. Tamaki didn't know much about vocal training, but he was pretty sure a teacher would have a lot to say regarding her many instances of going too fast and missing high notes.

By the end, she had scored above average anyway, and Tamaki didn't see why not. Her voice was fine, it just needed some work, and Mei herself was certainly proud.

"Yes! I rock so hard right now. I dare any of you to beat that!"

Kasumi raised an eyebrow and got up to take her turn. On the way, she eyed the machine and the numbered score it showed, then smirked at Mei.

"73 percent. I think that's the highest you've ever scored in anything."

She didn't stick around to see Mei's face fall or the death glare that was subsequently shot at her. Mei plopped down beside Tamaki, who smiled at her in an attempt to provide comfort. The look she answered with terrified him to his very core and had him staring at the wall straight ahead all throughout Kasumi's song.

Mei would be somewhat vindicated when Kasumi proved to be an awful singer and barely scored 40 percent. The one downside being that she wasn't nearly as affected by teasing and gloating as Mei hoped. She sat down and calmly sipped her drink while Mei gave up trying to goad her and went to drag an unwilling Kohaku up on stage.

"But I don't sing!" the girl protested.

Her complaints were ignored, and in the end, Kohaku had little choice but to just go along with it. Her song was noticeably shorter than the last two. It lasted barely a minute in a half and she just sort of mumbled along with it. Despite this, she got a 46 percent score. This seemed to bother Kasumi far more than anything Mei could have done, though she hid it well.

When Kohaku left the stage, Mei approached Tamaki and Haruhi. The former glanced at the latter, expecting her to be the next person dragged on stage. Tamaki looked forward to that. In his imagination, Haruhi had a beautiful voice comparable to that of an angel's. He could just see her now, on the stage, singing a slow love ballad, her eyes never leaving his…

It never occurred to him that his fantasies might not be a totally accurate portrayal reality, nor that Mei might want him to go before her.

"Come on, fearless leader," Mei grabbed his arm and pulled with surprising strength until Tamaki was on his feet.

"Wait, what?"

Mei proceeded to drag him to the stage, looking over her shoulder at him only once.

"It's _your_ turn."

The next thing Tamaki knew, he was in front of the mic and looking out at the tiny, box-shaped room of theirs. Mei worked the machine behind him and then danced off back to her seat.

"Don't worry, I already picked a song for you," she called out, grabbing her soda. "And I don't want to hear any 'I don't sing' nonsense."

"I really don't," Tamaki said sheepishly as loud, happy sounding music started up and filled the room. "I play piano, but other than that, I've never-"

"Less talking, more singing!"

Mei's command was accompanied by a jerking of her finger in his direction. Tamaki swallowed, wondering if she was still reeling off her lack of leadership in their little club and this was all soon weird, misguided revenge plot. Brushing such thoughts aside, Tamaki positioned himself so he could look at the teleprompter and his friends simultaneously as the lyrics started.

He was shaky on the first few lines, but gained confidence before the verse ended. Tamaki had no idea what he was singing, and several of the words were unfamiliar to him, making what parts of the song he could understand disjointed. He didn't even know how he was doing, as he couldn't stop staring at the top of the window, Katsuo-san's car at the bottom his vision. He just went on with the song, losing himself in it. 

* * *

><p>"Ichirou, you're up."<p>

When Konimi got no response, she turned away from congratulating their friend on a near-perfect score and found Ichirou with his ear smashed up against the wall separating them from the next room. She could vaguely hear singing from the next room.

"Ichirou?" she called out again.

He violently shushed and waved her off.

"I'm trying to listen!"

Konimi blinked, then sighed and rolled her eyes.

"What is with him all of a sudden?" 

* * *

><p>Tamaki finished the song with flourish, raising a hand in the air for no reason other than the adrenaline coursing through him. He smiled on the last note, hitting it perfectly as the music winded down to a close.<p>

When it was over, Tamaki came back to reality and was finally able to look at his audience. Mei's eyes were bugging out of their sockets, her mouth wordlessly hanging open. Kasumi looked equally amazed, though she was more reserved about it, merely nodding in appreciation. Even Kohaku was paying attention.

"That was pretty good," she remarked.

A beeping indicated that Tamaki's score was up. He turned around and read the number off the screen. His heart swelled like a balloon.

"97 percent?" Mei incredulously read. "And you said you couldn't sing."

"I said I never had before," Tamaki said[, doing his very best to contain his joy. He feared that letting it out might lead the others to be jealous. "Not like this anyway…"

His wandering eyes caught sight of something strange. While Mei was up front and center, and Kasumi was picking at her food beside a now disinterested Kohaku, Haruhi's seat was vacant, and she was nowhere in sight. He searched the entirety of the tiny room, not a corner or crevice escaping his gaze. The tables were barren of any kind of cloth, revealing nothing but shoes and garbage underneath.

"Where is she?" he said out loud, forgetting the microphone right in front of his face that broadcasted his question for the world to hear.

"You mean Haurhi?" Kasumi spoke up between bites of her sandwich. "She left while you were singing, right around when the song ended."

"She what?" Tamaki and Mei shouted in unison.

Kohaku shrugged and shook out her newspaper. "I'm surprised you guys didn't notice."

"Dammit! I should have known she'd do this," Mei groaned, slapping a hand on her forehead. "Why is she so against a little karaoke anyway? She's not that bad a singer."

But Tamaki didn't hear most of that last part. He was off the stage and out the door before Mei could finish. She and the others stared after him, along with the people in the next room when Konimi opened the door, calling to her party that she needed the bathroom. She watched him go with surprised recognition. Ichirou, looking over her shoulder, let out a yelp.

"That was _Okada_ singing?!"

Tamaki ran into the lobby, past the seating area and out the door. From there, he didn't have to search long before a head of brown hair entered his vision. Haruhi's back was to him, leaving her unaware of his approach until his hand was on her shoulder.

"Haruhi," he said as she turned around. "What are you doing out here?"

She gave a small smile and shook her head. "I forgot that my Dad is coming home early tonight. I have to get home fast or he might start trying to make dinner on his own and I can't have that. He's uh… cooking isn't really his thing."

"You cook? What about your mother?"

A small gasp escaped Haruhi's throat and she looked away. Tamaki's stomach dropped, it came with the realization that he'd just crossed some kind of line. Had something happened to Haruhi's mother? What kind of horrible memories had he just unearthed? What if she was in bed crying herself to sleep for the next week all because of him and she hated him for it?

"Senpai?"

Tamaki jolted in place, coming back in time to see Haruhi staring at him like he'd grown a second head. Laughing nervously, Tamaki leaned on a nearby lamp post, an attempt at looking cool and casual that he knew deep down wouldn't work on her.

"No, it's okay, I understand," he said. "I've had a lot of fun today. I hope the five of us can all do it again sometime. Maybe after the play?"

At this Haruhi bit her lip, an odd gesture that put Tamaki on guard, though he wasn't sure why yet. Perhaps it was a sixth sense warning him of what was to come.

"I don't know about that," Haruhi answered. "I may leave the club when the play is over, but I'm not sure yet."

Tamaki was floored. His mouth fell open in a rather cartoonish way. Had Haruhi not bowed her head to him right then, she probably would have found it quite a bemusing sight. Katsuo-san in his car certainly did, though Tamaki had no way of knowing this. Stepping away from him, Haruhi waved down a passing cab and opened the door when it stopped in front of her.

"I'll see you on Monday, Senpai!" she said while getting in.

The cab drove off before Tamaki could answer, not that he would have. He currently wasn't capable of stringing more than two words together as his brain tried to reboot itself from this sudden and terrible development. It was like a huge boulder being dropped on his head, and Haruhi didn't even know the affect her words were having on him. She probably never would.

"Leave?" Tamaki repeated, his voice airy from his mind's still partially gone state. "But… why?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So here is chapter five. Looks like there's another obstacle for Tamaki to face. Why does Haruhi want to quit?**

**Find out next time! :)**

**Also, I like to imagine that Tamaki was singing Guilty Beauty Love. XD Not to sure about the others though.**


	6. Romantics Club

"We're going to practice with live rounds today. Get your earmuffs secure, because it's going to get loud."

"…like this?"

"I don't know, do you think they are tight enough?"

"They fell pretty snug, yes."

"They're not."

"Huh?"

"You heard me, didn't you?"

"Yes, of course I… oh."

"Make them tighter."

…

"Alright, I think that should do it."

"What?"

"Excellent. Now remember to hold it steady."

"What?"

_groans _"Okay…"

…

"Can you hear me now?"

"Well, your voice is muffled, but I know what you're saying."

"Fantastic, let's get started. Show me first how to load the chamber."

* * *

><p><em><strong>So Haruhi wants to quit the club. Just when I think things are finally looking up and are going to keep getting better… they get worse.<strong>_

_**I don't understand. What have I done wrong? Did I make her feel like I was forcing her to work on the play? Maybe I shouldn't have jumped right into it like that, but Ichirou-san needed help! Doesn't Haruhi like helping people? I thought she was enjoying herself. Was I wrong?**_

_**I don't know what I'll do if she leaves. I'm not overreacting, I just want the five of us to stay together. I especially want Haruhi to stick around. It wouldn't feel right without her. It would be like a vital piece missing from a puzzle. There must be a way I can convince her to stay.**_

_**I have to do something soon. **_

_**I hate feeling like nothing will ever work out again.**_

* * *

><p>Tamaki ran his finger down the line of neatly stacked books in his locker, searching for the science text. He eyed the watch on his wrist, noting the fifteen minutes he had until rehearsal began. He could probably make it in time, though he was lagging a bit behind. Depression had been weighing on him all morning, starting right when he woke up from a night of tumultuous sleep.<p>

Haruhi's declaration repeated itself over and over again in his head, becoming increasingly distorted over time until it was just a mesh of unintelligibility that somehow still made sense to him. It made knowing that he would be seeing her very shortly, and would definitely have to say something to her when he did, all the more nerve-whacking.

Try as he might, the right words refused to come to him. As a child, he'd always learned that compliments were the best way to get on a ladies' good side. This had been proven to him time and time again, both in his old world of refinement riches, and here at this very school. But Haruhi wasn't like the pampered rich women he was accustomed to. She never reacted to his praise of her beauty and grace. The few times she did give a response, it was about something entirely different, like she hadn't even been listening. He could favorably compare her to Venus and she would have nothing to say in return.

It was almost as if Haruhi… _didn't care _about her outward appearance.

As such, Tamaki had no idea where to go from here, no idea how to talk Haruhi out of leaving the club. It had gotten to the point that he was almost desperate enough to ask Sekigawa-san for advice. Katsuo-san pulled him away early for a quick lesson on proper weapons maintenance before it could come to that, much to Tamaki's gratitude.

Of course, this still meant that he didn't have a clue what to do. He feared he might have to just accept Haruhi's resignation and let her go in peace. The thought alone, of her back to him, walking into the distance to parts unknown where he'd never see her again, left a bitter taste in his mouth and made his chest hurt. He didn't quite understand that last reaction. He'd lost friends many times before, and while it always hurt, it never felt that bad.

"This is just awful," he groaned to himself, pressing his head against the locker next to his. He remained like this for well over a minute, just feeling sorry for himself and his sour situation.

With a defeated sigh, Tamaki righted himself, adjusted the books in his bag so they would all fit right, and slammed his locker shut. He had just enough time to see the scowling face the door had hidden from view before a large hand twisted around his shirt and shoved him into the nearest wall. Tamaki gasped, his arms dropping to his sides and allowing his school bag to fall.

"Morning, Okada," Kurosawa said with a smile that was devoid of anything positive. In it's place was pure malice. "I heard you're doing the school play. That sounds _fun."_

Tamaki swallowed, a difficult task as Kurosawa's hand was pushing hard into his chest cavity. He recalled a conversation he'd had with his father on one of their weekly phone chats. Tamaki had been feeling particularly scared that night, and made no attempt to hide it. His father had been calm and quiet the entire time Tamaki was expressing his fears of being discovered by their enemy, or never seeing them again. He listened, and he knew exactly what to say to make it, not better, but easier to carry on.

"_Tamaki, I know you're scared right now. I understand and I would be lying if I said that I'm not. Always remember that you are a Suoh. You come from a proud family that has been through much worse than this. Stand tall and don't ever let them see your fear. I promise you, we will get though this."_

Tamaki mentally recited those words as he looked Kurosawa right in the eyes, his shaking fists the only indicator of the terror overtaking his being.

"It is," he said evenly.

Kurosawa nodded once. "I bet. Especially since you get to hang out with so many fun and interesting people. _Like Oshiro_."

He slammed Tamaki's head into the locker. Like the first time, Tamaki saw stars and felt an explosion of pain that left him dazed for several seconds. It wasn't so bad this time, though, mostly because Tamaki's anger at himself for forgetting something so important eclipsed it. He should have realized that, in a school full of commoner kids who all knew each other so well, Kurosawa would discover what he was doing very soon. That it took so many days was the only real shocker, and now more than ever, Tamaki wished he had listened to Mei and just kept things the way they were.

'_But the Drama Club needed help,' _his inner voice reminded him.

'_I know,' _Tamaki internally argued with it. _'But is it worth getting killed over?'_

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong," Kurosawa went on. "But didn't I warn you to stay _away_ from Oshiro?"

He pushed in more, further restricting Tamaki's ability to breathe probably. Taking in shallow breaths, Tamaki tried to think fast.

"L-listen," he said. "Kurosawa, I and my compatriots volunteered to help Ichirou, the play's director. I was unaware at the time that Oshiro was involved in the play as well until much later. Not mention, as one of the lead actresses, she is far too busy memorizing her lines to waste time talking with the crew. So you see, my reasons for joining have nothing to do with Oshiro. I really have no interest in her that way. I mean, she is a lovely, kind-hearted girl and very pretty, but-"

"Oh, you find her pretty?" Kurosawa leaned in, their noses almost touching and the rage on his face more palpable than ever before.

"N-no! I didn't mean it like that!" Tamaki cried, his knuckles turning white with fear. "I just…"

He trailed off. Kurosawa continued to glare at him, and it was frightening as ever, but something else was on Tamaki's mind all of a sudden, something that hit him like a ton of bricks. He thought back to his first encounter with Kurosawa and his friends, the way he'd been ready to punch Tamaki's face in for something as miniscule as looking at him the wrong way. It was the timely arrival of Oshiro that got him to back down, and he did so immediately with no hesitation. Almost as if he didn't want to do it while she was around. Oshiro herself had spoken somberly about Kurosawa the other day, saying that he'd once been a good kid, and from her tone, she clearly missed that side of him. Everything that Kurosawa felt the need to beat him up over, all the verbal and non-verbal threats he made, it all went back to Oshiro.

Why hadn't he figured it out earlier?

"I see," Tamaki whispered. "I get it now… you like her, don't you? You're in love with Oshiro."

Kurosawa's eyes widened. His grip on Tamaki slackened for a brief time, enough for him to make an attempt at sliding away. Kurosawa came back to his senses and pushed him back again before he could get very far, but Tamaki wasn't so scared this time.

"Hang on," he said quickly, eyeing Kurosawa's free hand as it curled into a fist. "You don't have to do this. I have no interest in Oshiro as anything more than a friend. She doesn't like me that way either. In fact, I believe she feels the same way about you as you do about her."

The anger left Kurosawa's face a second time. It was slower though, melting into bewilderment and more than a little suspicion. He also didn't let up this time.

"I overheard her talking yesterday," Tamaki went on, a strange sort of calm coming over him. "She was saying how worried she is about you, and how much she misses the person you used to be. You weren't always like this, were you Kurosawa? You weren't always such a bully."

More silence.

"You don't have to be. I think Oshiro would be happy if you changed your ways and stopped bullying people. Ask yourself this: what will beating me up accomplish? Maybe you'll feel a little better, but what about Oshiro? Even if I say nothing, she'll figure out what you did eventually and then she'll be even angrier with you than she already is. You may lose your chance with her forever. Do you want that? Is this worth it?"

Kurosawa's mouth hung open. He stared into the stoic face of Tamaki, desperately wanting to strike fear into him again. But Tamaki wouldn't let up, his confidence was back and it wasn't going anywhere, because he knew he was right. What mattered now was if Kurosawa knew it too. He lowered his head, fringe covering his eyes from view. Tamaki didn't move a muscle, but waited patiently for Kurosawa's next move, prepared to take whatever the much larger boy threw at him with pride and bravery. He was a Suoh, he could and would survive worse than this.

Slowly, but surely, the pressure on Tamaki's chest eased until it was completely gone, and Kurosawa was standing a good two feet away from him. Though he was still glaring, the edge was long gone.

"You'd better be telling the truth, Okada," he said, pointing a threatening finger in his face. "And you'd better be right."

Kurosawa left without another word, storming down the hall and around the corner. He wouldn't have stopped for anything, he was like a man on a mission.

When Kurosawa was no longer in sight, Tamaki let out the breath he'd been holding for God only knows how that. With it came a strangled cry as his knees buckled and he fell to the floor. His heart raced a mile a minute and sweat began to pour down his cheeks as the terror he'd been holding back burst free from it's restraints.

"I can't believe that worked," he thought aloud, laughing a shaky laugh of relief.

"Senpai, what are you doing?"

Tamaki snapped to attention, neck craning all the way up to meet the big brown eyes staring down at him.

"Haruhi," he said, struggling to his feet and almost knocking into her in his haste. "Hello! Where are you headed?"

She tilted her head to one side. "To the auditorium. Aren't you?"

"…oh yes. Yes, of course I am."

He deflated completely. As if near miss with Kurosawa hadn't been bad enough, now he looked like a fool in front of Haruhi right when he needed to impress her most. She giggled, making the heat rush to Tamaki's face. How could she be so cute without even trying?

"You're pretty weird today," she remarked, starting to walk again with her Senpai at her side.

"I was just…" Tamaki stopped and shook his head. "Nothing, it's not important. Actually, I've been thinking a lot about what you said yesterday. You know… about quitting the club."

"Yeah," Haruhi answered casually. "What about it?"

Tamaki blinked, slightly unnerved by her tone. She couldn't have made up her mind already. Could she?

"Is there any reason why?" he asked, struggling to control his emotions. He was inches away from grabbing her into his arms, holding on tight enough to break her in half and tearfully begging her not to go. "If it's something I've done, then I am so sorry and I promise I will work to fix it."

"It's not that," Haruhi shook her head. "Well, it kind of is, but it's not your fault. You're just doing what you feel is best for the club."

Tamaki gave a nod, a frog in his throat preventing him from saying everything he desperately wanted to. He ignored the mounting dread in his stomach, telling him things weren't going to go his way no matter how much he wanted them to.

"So, you're not mad at me?"

"No. I have no reason to be," Haruhi replied, swerving away from the window to avoid the glare of the sun. This had the additional effect of putting her in much closer proximity to the already red faced Tamaki. He gulped. "And I'm only _thinking _about quitting. It's just that I know you'll probably get us involved in more school activities when the play is over, and I really don't have time for that."

Tamaki furrowed his brow, but said nothing, waiting for her to go on.

"Stage Crew is fine for now, and I know that will help me in the long run to have that on my record, but I think that's all I really need. Plus, I'm going to need all the time I can get to make up for the studying I'm missing."

She took five more steps exactly, and that was the amount of time needed for Haruhi to realize that she was alone all of a sudden. Turning around, she found Tamaki, still as a statue, eyes boring into her. He hadn't moved at all since she'd finished talking.

As she stared back curiously, Tamaki felt a whirl of conflicting feelings hit him hard. He wanted to say a million different things at once, enough to make it feel like his brain was swelling up. His legs turned to jelly, desperate for him to walk away and maybe go stand in the corner for a while until he composed himself. He ignored those sensations. By comparison with everything else, they were paltry.

"Studying?" he repeated softly. "That's all?"

Haruhi shrugged. "Well, it's not like I won't hang out with my friends anymore. I'll see them at lunch and during class. We may study together and go out to eat on the weekends. I just can't get into extra-curriculars long term. I don't have time."

"Of course you do!" Tamaki snapped, shocking both Haruhi and himself with his anger. "Haruhi, you're at the top of your class, you're already probably on every major High School's list! Every time I see you, you're either reading or doing homework. Don't you want more than that?"

"What are you suggesting, that I _don't_ study?" Haruhi asked, affronted by his daring to insinuate such a thing. "I have a lot of plans for my future, and I can't get there if I don't."

"I'm not telling you to stop studying," Tamaki shot back, standing as straight as he could as if their vast difference in height would make him seem more in the right. "Just that you can't let it take up all your time, it's not good for you. You should be more open to new experiences, Haruhi. If you just let them all pass by, then you can't live your life to the fullest extent. Not everything is about grades."

"I know that," Haruhi answered flatly, clutching the leather handle of her bag so tight that her knuckles were turning white.

Tamaki gave her a look. "Do you?"

Their staring contest went on for a time, but neither had anymore to say, nor could they find it in them to break eye contact. Tamaki was resolute in his reasoning, and so was Haruhi. At least, that's what she was trying to make it seem like. In reality, Tamaki hadn't the foggiest what was going on in that head of hers. Had he reached her? Convinced her to stay? What if he words had had no effect whatsoever? What if he'd been too pushy and now she wanted nothing more to do with him? All of these answerless questions were becoming harder and harder to bare. Tamaki was grateful when Ichirou slid into the hall, shouting about how he'd been looking everywhere for them and demanding they get inside immediately and set up the backgrounds.

Tamaki and Haruhi followed him in silence, careful not to accidentally graze or look at each other. So much was on both their minds, and neither of them would ever know that about the other.

* * *

><p>Haruhi had been adjusting the fake fruits for longer than she knew. At least fifteen minutes by now. Try as she might, she couldn't get them to stay stacked the way she wanted them to. The top one was littered with dents after falling so many times and was looking increasingly misshapen. Every single one was a symbol of Haruhi's thinning patience. One more time, and she might just throw it at the wall for it to shatter.<p>

Maybe she'd get lucky and the thing would ricochet off and smack Tamaki in the face. Her cheerful upperclassmen was currently chatting with Kohaku about how to put the front door set together. He acted like he had not a care in the world, and one could almost forget the scandal and shame hanging over his and his family's heads were they to learn his true identity. If Haruhi hadn't been so annoyed with him, she might have started to wonder how he was handling the stress.

'_By trying to play life coach with you,' _her snide inner voice said.

Haruhi was inclined to agree with it. The top orange rolled off the makeshift pyramid for the umpteethed time, falling with a sickening thud. Haruhi scooped it back up and closely examined it for more dents. Instead, she found a long, ugly crack running down it's radius.

"I can't wait until this play is over," she groaned, tossing it aside uncaringly.

Five minutes later found Haruhi carrying out a bag full of garbage. After throwing away the now useless prop, rearranging the oranges had been much easier. Once she was done with the trash, she'd just have to go back and glue them together. Then she'd have finished all her work for the day with almost a half and hour to spare. Perhaps she could even sneak out a little early, so long as Tamaki didn't catch her.

Re-entering the auditorium, Haruhi made a beeline for the set piece, left untouched since she'd last been there. Perfect. Now getting it done would be a piece of cake.

"You IDIOT!"

Haruhi stopped and whirled around, the ear splitting shout shooting through her, making her whole body shiver and tense up. Unsurprisingly, Mei had been the culprit, and her victim was a male student. Despite being at least a foot taller than her, Mei cast a huge shoulder over him, fueling by the obvious rage on her face. The boy cowered away from her, muttering barely audible apologies for whatever he'd done that only served to anger Mei further.

"Don't just _apologize_!" she shouted, throwing her hands outward and smacking another boy, unfortunate enough to be right behind her, in the face. This was disregarded. "Do you know how hard I worked to put this thing together? I spent hours on it! I slaved over it. And then YOU COME ALONG, WAVING YOUR STUPID BOW AROUND LIKE A DUMBASS AND-"

"Excuse me?"

Though her voice was soft, it somehow got through Mei's shouts and stopped her from going on with her ranting. The entire gathering crowd looked up, and though most of them were surprised and bemused at the interruption, none where more shocked at Haruhi's speaking up than Haruhi herself.

True, she had walked into the proverbial lion's den of her own free will with the set purpose of calming her best friend's anger. She wasn't afraid of the other girl and held no inclination not to do this, but the act of saying something and really getting herself involved was foreign to Haruhi. Normally, she would have just walked away. Trying something different wasn't as easy as it sounded.

With all the eyes on her, Haruhi felt a sliver of stage fright work it's way into her belly, but she brushed it aside upon realizing that this was something she would be dealing with everyday in her adult life. Lawyers had to get used to speaking before large crowds when they made their cases. They needed people to listen to them. Haruhi took a breath. It seemed now was the time to start practicing for that.

"First of all, Mei, please stop yelling at him. We won't solve anything that way."

The ganguro raised an eyebrow at her, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest. Even so, she leaned away from the poor young man, who edged away from her while wiping the sweat off of his brow.

"Good," Haruhi nodded. "Now, can someone tell me what's going on?"

One of the actresses, Konimi, if Haruhi remembered correctly, wordlessly motioned at the half set up tarp to her left. Haruhi knew it to be a background painted with whites and light blues to mimic a morning sky. She stepped a little closer, keeping her eyes on the patch Konimi had pointed out, and it wasn't long before she spotted the problem.

Near where she'd be eye level to it was a width-wise tear that stretched at least half a foot across. With no set pieces visible to cover it up, the hope would be very conspicuous to the audience, especially when the stage lights were on.

"That guy over there is in the pit orchestra," Konimi waved at the retreating young man, who seemed to want to put as much distance between himself at the steaming Mei as possible. "He's a violinist or something and his bow got caught in a little hole on the trap. When he tried to pull it out, he wound up ripping the tarp."

"And obliterating all my hard work!" Mei but in.

"You know, I did at least half the work on this thing," Kohaku piped up from the back. "Would appreciate a little credit!"

She would get no response, as all attention was either on Haruhi or the rip. The former gave a tired sigh and turned on a heel, walking briskly away. Haruhi ignored Mei's cries for her to come back and headed for the storage room. She opened several boxes left on the messy tables, rummaging around through bits of fabric and old sheet music until finally finding what she was looking for in the third box.

"Where did you go?" Mei demanded on her return to the stage.

"I had to get something," Haruhi answered, pushing politely through the crowd so she could stand before the tarp, at which point she prompting kneeled and set her find on the ground.

"Isn't that a sewing kit?" Kohaku asked.

"I didn't know you could sew, Fujioka," said Konimi.

Haruhi shrugged. "I can only do a few things, fixing tears and the like. My mom and grandma taught me when I was a kid."

She pulled out a needle and struggled for a couple of seconds to thread it. She paused to lick the end, giving it just the edge it needed to feed through to the other side with no further problems. Haruhi then made a knot, checked for tangles, and set to work. She didn't know if anyone was still around or if they'd all lost interest and wandered away to do other things, but that wasn't her concern. Haruhi concentrated fully on her task, pushing the needle in and out of the rough fabric, the thicker than usual thread pulling it together tautly. When she was done, Haruhi snapped the need off and tied another knot. After checking to make sure it was secure, she turned around to find only Mei, Konimi and Kohaku still around. The first two were grinning.

"Oh man, thank you so much, Haruhi," Mei said, full of relief as she grabbed Haruhi into a hug. "You're a lifesaver."

"It's definitely fortunate you were around," Konimi nodded in agreement. "I know I wouldn't have been able to do that. I'd just stab myself with the needle over and over again."

"And then make us clean up the blood, right?" Kohaku remarked, earning a glare.

"You guys," Haruhi said as Mei let her go. "I didn't really do anything anyone else couldn't have done. You don't need to make such a big deal about it."

"Make a big deal about what?"

Haruhi's shoulders tensed and her eyes clenched shut. She felt a stab of annoyance as that voice resonated in her mind as the one she'd been trying to avoid hearing for the past two hours now. Tamaki jogged over, a clipboard in hand that had flawless handwriting on it, but Haruhi wasn't able to see what was written as he came to a stop and let his hands rest at his sides. Haruhi didn't bother to try and talk down her apparently amazing feat. She knew she'd wind up getting drowned out anyway, and sure enough…

"Haruhi just saved us," Mei said, completely serious.

Tamaki's eyes widened. Haruhi didn't want to know how his mind had interpreted that. Thankfully, Konimi was around.

"What Mei means," she said. "Is that we had a little setback with one of the background displays, and Haruhi here was able to fix it."

"Is that so?" Tamaki asked brightly, the smile he sent Haruhi's way making her feel worse where it should have made her feel better. "Well, it's a good thing we have her around then."

"I'll say," Mei answered, clapping Haruhi on the back. "Great job, Haruhi."

Konimi nodded as she started to walk away. "Yeah, good going, Fujioka."

She received similar congrats from Kohaku and a few other people passing by who'd been part of the earlier crowd. With every new one she was given, Haruhi become less annoyed and more bewildered. Was fixing a moderate in severity tear in a tarp really that big of a deal? It wasn't like she'd saved anyone's life or found a cure for some horrible disease. Haruhi felt another hand on her shoulder, this one bigger and more gentle than Mei's.

"Don't look so shocked at being appreciated," Tamaki said, leaning forward to speak in her ear. "You helped them out, you should be proud of yourself."

Haruhi looked at him, meeting his smile with a blank face. While she still didn't believe she'd done anything spectacular, she had to admit, her peer's compliments were rather nice.

"You see?" Tamaki continued. "This is what I was telling you before. Aren't you enjoying yourself more now?"

At that, Haruhi had nothing to say. Though she told herself it was because she was tired and wanted to just go sit in the audience and rest until it was time to go, the real reason was that she didn't want to admit Tamaki had been right, not to his face anyway. The fact that his smooth smile suddenly made her stomach feel a bit strange didn't help matters.

Having taken her silence as a 'no,' Tamaki stepped away with a sigh.

"Either way, I'm proud of you, Haruhi," he said. "I really am."

Haruhi shook her head, a smile of her own forming fast.

"I guess this is becoming more fun," she said in such a quiet voice, Tamaki would surely never have heard it.

That he suddenly squealed and took her in his hands, spinning her wildly like a top and screaming at the top of his lungs how happy he was that she'd finally gotten into the spirit of fun and adventure (or something along those lines), indicated that Haruhi had been sorely mistaken.

* * *

><p>"You know, Kurosawa, I don't think you fully understand who you're dealing with here."<p>

Arata Kurosawa smirked at the chubby underclassmen before him, the ugly freak's ruddy complexion exaggerating his impotent fury to an almost laughable extent. Behind him, Sato and Mutou where ready to burst into hysterics at any given moment, and Kurosawa was sure that what he was about to do to this idiot would prove quite the show.

"Oh, I don't?" he mocked the boy, knowing from experience that such flippancy would guarentee a reaction. "I'm sorry, I just don't pay much attention to lowly first years."

"HEY!" the guy shouted, taking a step forward in a failed attempt at being threatening. "Don't you dare mock me, asshole. I was the toughest kid at my old school. Believe me, I can take you."

"Weren't you in junior high last year?" Kurosawa further prodded him. "Oh man, I'm terrified now. You must've been the toughest badass on the playground, huh? Stealing all the other boy's candy and the girl's Barbie dolls."

"Alright, THAT'S IT!" the boy shouted, throwing off his ill-fittingly jacket and smacking meaty fists together. "First, you run into me and don't apologize, then you insult me. I'm taking you down, bitch."

"Ohhh, nice comeback," Kurosawa said, balling his own hands into fists. "I know this'll end…"

When his voice faded, all the threat he imposed on the guy went with it. He could no longer truly on the person in front of him, who furrowed his brow in confusion at the sudden change in his would be opponent. All Kurosawa cared about at the moment was the person who had just walked down the hall. The timing was incredibly bad, and she had already spotted him and was staring right back into his eyes. Whatever move he made next, she would be witness to it.

Oshiro.

The girl stood before her locker, which Kurosawa couldn't believe he forgot was in this area. Of course she was going to come by and see them. Had she arrived not a minute later, she'd have been met with the sight of her next door neighbor brawling with some random punk. Again.

As it was, Kurosawa was caught in the spotlight. His friends, the underclassmen, Oshiro… all of their eyes were on him, waiting for his next move. And all Kurosawa could do during this was listen to the words of that stupid little bag of bones, Okada.

'_I think Oshiro would be happy if you changed your ways and stopped bullying people.'_

He bit his lip, taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to smack himself in the head for the abominably stupid thing he was about to do. He first made a note to find Okada and beat him senseless when this was over, then glanced at the underclassmen.

He could still feel Oshiro watching him.

"You know what?" he said. "You're right. I did knock into you and I'm… I'm sorry."

He almost chocked on the last word, but got it out in the end. The underclassmen's incredulous stare didn't bother him as much as he thought it would, though that might have been because he was too busy staring at Oshiro to care. The girl had a look of surprise now, having heard everything. Kurosawa moved around the underclassmen, sparing him and his friends no second thoughts as he approached Oshiro, struggling to keep up the pace under the power of her stare. He never understood why it could affect him so much, not even when he finally fessed up to himself about his feelings for her. It made his heart race, his cheek flush.

"What was that all about?" Oshiro asked.

Kurosawa looked away and shrugged. "Nothing. I bumped into him and he was bitching about it. I decided to just not bother. He's not worth it."

His half-assed attempt at toughness did even less to convince Oshiro that he hadn't chickened out than he thought. She snorted, a genuine smile reaching her ears as she patted Kurosawa on the shoulder.

"Well, I think it was very big of you to admit that it was your fault," she said.

Kurosawa's blush worsened, and he prayed she wouldn't see it, or would misinterpret it as meaning something else. Like that he was suffering from a horrible disease or anything else that wasn't what it actually was. He honestly doubted it, though. She was too smart for that.

The next words out of her mouth had nothing to do with it anyway.

"I'd better get going, I have a lot of homework do to," she turned to walk away, then stopped to look back. "I'll see you later tonight, right?"

"Tonight?"

She giggled at his sudden burst of shock that sent him flying back into the wall.

"We live next door to each other, remember?"

Kurosawa blinked, his face now red for another, much less pleasant reason. The desire to slam his head against the wall was great, but he ignored it long enough to nod in agreement and see Oshiro off with the promise that they'd talk about tonight. In an instant, all thoughts of embarrassment, cockiness, and beating up new kids for trying to pick at his brain vanished. All that remained was Oshiro.

"She smiled at me," he said in a daze. "She hasn't done that since we were kids…"

In his lovestruck state, Kurosawa didn't notice his two friends now standing in the entranceway, watching him with disbelief. Sato in particular didn't really know what to make of this. He was just amazed that his attempt at maturity had actually paid off. He hadn't known Akiko Oshiro as long as Kurosawa had, but the girl always seemed like a major hard ass, always abiding by the rules like a good little girl and looking down on those who disobeyed them. She was nice enough, he supposed, but so uptight, Sato had no idea what his friend saw in her.

But then again, who was he to question love? Even if it was stupid.

"Man, can you believe him?" Motou drawled, clearly sharing Sato's sentiment. "Did he get his brain replaced with a girl's? This is just freaky."

Sato shook his head, not bothering to look at Motou when he answered.

"He's just happy Oshiro doesn't completely hate him anymore," Sato explained. "I guess whatever Okada said to him actually helped, believe it or not."

"Okada?" Motou asked, crinkling his nose.

"Yeah, Kurosawa tried to beat him up before, you know what a jealous moron he is, and apparently, Okada said something about acting nicer so Oshiro would like him more. Something like that. Anyway, I guess Kurosawa got cold feet or figured it would work."

Motou was quiet the next few seconds, thinking hard about what he'd just learned as a low hum exiting through barely parted lips. Whatever was on his mind, Sato couldn't say, and he didn't really care one way or the other anyway.

"So…" Motou said slowly. "Okada gave Kurosawa relationship advice?"

Sato shrugged. "Pretty much."

Pounding footsteps moving away from him alerted Sato to Motou's departure. He snapped his head around, watching the taller boy walk against the sun, a black silhouette whose features where hidden from sight.

"Where the hell are you going?" Sato called after him.

"I have to go," Motou answered dismissively. "I just remembered some stuff I gotta go do… over by the auditorium."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Here's chapter 6! It looks like Tamaki won't have to worry about Kurosawa anymore, but he isn't in the clear yet. There are still far worse things he has to face, and they're coming.**

**They're coming quicker than you know...**

**Well, I'll see you next chapter! ^^**


	7. Popularity Club

The train grinded to a halt, it's whistle blowing a high pitched signal for everyone to get off; this was the last stop it would be making today. For the man sitting next to the door, it was a non-issue. Reading the sign through his crud covered window, he knew he was in the right place and gave a devilish smirk.

His luggage consisted of a single large leather suitcase. It mostly contained clothing and a few of his favorite books, he wasn't a fool who would carry the essentials with him through public transportation. If all went well, and it would, or else head were going to roll, everything he needed to complete his assignment would be ready and delivered to him by the end of the week.

It would be long and tedious wait, but he could get through it. Thoughts of the Suoh boy's terrified face, the cold barrel of his gun grazing his nose, would keep the well dressed man sufficiently entertained. When the trigger was pulled, and Tamaki Suoh's head was nothing more than a splatter of red on the wall, it would be even better.

The time was drawing near. His men had finally cracked into the Suoh's main database. The assistance they'd been receiving from the Ootori family made it difficult, but their inside men got the job done in the end. He knew that Tamaki Suoh was in this town, attending a local Junior High. They would have the name shortly, and then that would be it.

The men de-boarded the train and rolled his bag to the stairs, climbing down without a care for anyone bothered by his shoving past them. He'd spotted a small pastry shop from the high vantage point, and the sight alone made his stomach growl. He took a deep breath of fresh air, smiling serenely as he let it out.

'_What a fine day it is,' _he thought. _'Another job almost complete and fresh scones to be had. I can't remember the last time I was in such a good mood.'_

* * *

><p>"Great work today, everyone. I'll see you all tomorrow!"<p>

The trio of actresses shyly waved back at Tamaki, two of them giggling too hard to give him an answer. The third one did so in a voice much higher than the one he'd been hearing all day.

"See you later, Okada-kun!"

Her friend's laughter echoed down the hall as they disappeared around the corner. Tamaki thought he could hear them teasing the girl who'd spoken to him, but he couldn't be sure. It cheered him either way, knowing that they honestly, truly liked him. It seemed acceptance wasn't such a great distance away after all.

It had only taken one day. He'd gotten Kurosawa off his back, hopefully convinced Haruhi not to leave the club, and made a wide array of new friends that would only grow with the passing days. Tamaki walked on cloud nine, so happy, it seemed nothing could possibly bring him down.

"Hey, Okada!"

Nothing except one of Kurosawa's equally large and intimidating friends barreling towards him with harsh intent in his eyes. Tamaki's happiness was popped like a balloon and faded into the dark recesses of his mind. He barely had time to feel fear before Mutou was upon him, the front of Tamaki's collar bunched up in his hand and used as leverage to pull him closer. Katsuo-san was not going to like having to iron that shirt out later.

"I heard you told Kurosawa to stop fighting people," Mutou said matter-of-factly.

Tamaki cringed a little, a million horrible scenarios forming, all of which ended with him either in the hospital or the morgue and involved a great amount of pain and blood on his part. He could only imagine the satisfaction Mutou would get from it.

"W-well," his bravery was failing him. "It's more like I… suggested that bullying people wasn't the best idea. It was just my opinion, of course."

"So that Kurosawa could get together with Oshiro," Mutou went on.

Tamaki swallowed and nodded silently as his voice failed him. All the words he could have said to maybe make this situation better were colliding into a giant mess that would probably come out utterly incoherent had he even attempted to open his mouth. This, at least, might get him a slightly less intense beating.

"Okay," Mutou nodded, his fist tightening as Tamaki closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable. "Then I have just one question for you."

Mutou paused, and Tamaki knew it was coming now. Any second…

"How do I get Konimi Misa to go on a date with me?"

Because Tamaki was so busy picturing his broken body in a full body cast and iron lung with sad violin music playing in the background and Haruhi crying with her head on his chest, it didn't register with him just what Mutou had asked until the boy got bored waiting and shook him a little. Tamaki's eyes snapped open, met by the expectant, but not malicious looking Mutou.

"You… you want to date Konimi?"

Mutou rolled his eyes. "Are you deaf or something? _Yes_, _I want to date Konimi_. Now you got Oshiro to like Kurosawa for the first time in years. How do I get Konimi to like me?"

Tamaki glanced away for a moment, weighing his options. Mutou was telling the truth, that he believed whole-heartedly. What one may have chalked up to an attempt at lulling him into a false sense of security before the attack was made, Tamaki saw as a genuine desire for help. The way Mutou looked at him now, like he was struggling with the simple task of making eye contact as his cheeks turned red with embarrassment, that can't have been faked. Tamaki absolutely would not believe otherwise.

After all, Kurosawa's anger had been a mere mask for his insecurities, why couldn't the same be said for Mutou?

He just wished Mutou would let go of his shirt already.

"Okay," Tamaki said with a small nod. "You wish to ask Konimi out… frankly, I wasn't even aware that you were interested in her."

Mutou's face fell and he glanced down, as if in shame.

"I've tried talking to her," he mumbled. "But… I never really know what to say… she's kinda hard to talk to."

Tamaki had to agree with that, though he wouldn't say it out loud. It was impolite to speak in such a way about a lady, especially a good acquaintance like Konimi.

"I don't think she even likes me that much," Mutou went on.

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," Tamaki said reassuringly. "Tell you what, if you really want to get in her good graces, why not try taking an active interest in her?"

Mutou stared at him flatly.

"Okada, I already have. That's why I'm talking to you in the first place."

"I don't mean like that," Tamaki said, shaking his head and hands nervously. "I mean her hobbies. It might help you get into her good graces if you tried to find something you both have in common. I can't guarantee that she'll come to like you as more than a friend, but at least you'll have a chance."

Mutou blinked as he quietly considered this. His hand had long ago gone slack, allowing Tamaki to gently pull himself free and back up several steps. He no longer feared for his safety, but wanted to have some distance between himself and Mutou anyway. If Katsuo-san had taught him anything in these past few weeks, it was that you could never be too careful.

"Okay…" Mutou nodded. "Try and find something in common… be interested in what she likes… she's in that play thing right?"

Tamaki said and did nothing, not knowing if Mutou was actually talking to him anymore or just muttering to himself. It wasn't until Mutou clapped his hands and looked at him again that he got an answer.

"So I'll do that then," he said.

Tamaki furrowed his brow. "Wait, do what?"

"The thing that you do," Mutou elaborated. "The crew thing. I'll help you guys out and talk to Konimi that way. I need an extra cirric anyway if I'm going to graduate."

Tamaki opened his mouth, but no sound would come out. Mutou was on a roll anyway, and likely wouldn't have listened to a word Tamaki had to say now that his mind was made up. As he walked past towards the exit, he clapped Tamaki hard on the shoulder, making him wince in pain.

"You're okay, Okada," said Mutou with a smirk. "See you tomorrow."

The door had long since closed behind Mutou when Tamaki finally stopped reeling from what had just occurred and regain his ability to speak.

"Uh…alright, see you then…"

* * *

><p>The girls took the news surprisingly well. Where Tamaki expect cries of anger and fear, maybe a couple of knots in his head, courtesy of Mei, what he got was barely a step above complete apathy. Kasumi and Kohaku shrugged and went back to what they were doing as soon as he was done explaining. Haruhi also went right back to the marked page in her book. In the end, only Mei had anything to say on the subject, and it wasn't nearly what Tamaki thought it would be.<p>

"You're telling me you got that lug Kurosawa off your back by telling him how to date Oshiro?"

Tamaki's fingers flexed.

"No, not really. I merely advised him to try taking a more mature approach to his problems, and let Oshiro know he was willing to change for the better. I mean, I certainly hope that this is enough for her to finally act on her feelings."

Mei 'hmmed,' bringing a newly manicured finger to her chin.

"And then Mutou came and asked you for help with his crush," she said. "Sounds like you're becoming quite the matchmaker."

"That wasn't really the intention…"

"Does it matter?" Kasumi spoke up. She got up and stretched out her legs, walking them over to the teacher's desk and seating herself there. "This could be the start of things to come for you."

"People will come from all around to sample your infinite knowledge of love," Mei added.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Tamaki answered, oblivious to their wide grins and giggles at his expense. "I mean, it's true I am something of an expert in romance, but I'm not sure help one or two people find their match is enough to gain some kind of recognition."

Kasumi smirked, placing a one hand on her hip and waving with the other at the door. Tamaki had no idea what she was getting at, until there came a timid knocking, followed by a cough. A young girl stood in the doorway, petite and with a curvy body she covered with the textbooks held tightly to her chest. She was looking at the floor, as if afraid of being in the group's mere presence. Mei analytical and piercing gaze probably wasn't helping matters, but Tamaki's one track mind was too busy worrying about this girl to be concerned with that.

"Hello there," he said, holding out a welcoming hand. "What can we do for you."

She glanced up, giving Tamaki a glimpse of wide brown eyes. He thought she was rather pretty, there was no need for her to be so shy around him or anyone else.

"U-um… are you- you're Okada Tamaki, right?"

"I am."

The girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I heard from someone that you… that you know a lot about… you know, love and dating and all that. I- I was wondering… well, there's this guy I like in algebra, but I'm afraid to talk to him, so… if it's not too much trouble, I wanted to ask…"

Someone behind Tamaki let out a high pitched giggle, and he didn't need to turn around to know that it was Mei, or that she and Kasumi were likely sharing identical grins and maybe even giving each other a celebratory high five.

Just in case, Tamaki offered the girl a kind smile and motioned for the hallway.

"Why don't we talk about this outside, my dear?"

The girl nodded and turned quickly, Tamaki in her wake. He closed the door behind them to get as much privacy as possible, leaving his club mates to watch them talk through the window.

As soon as he was gone, Mei rounded on Haruhi. The girl's nose was still in her book, but she hadn't turned a page in a long time, much longer than normal. Her eyes didn't even appear to be moving, a fact that Mei would have to milk for all it was worth.

"I guess we were right," she said, grabbing the desk right beside Haruhi's. "Good thing that girl was after some other guy, huh? Because she was pretty, and I bet Tamaki's going to be even more popular now."

"Probably," Haruhi said.

Mei's smirk faltered, but didn't fully vanish. She was long used to her friend's general apathy about certain things, she just didn't think this would be one of them.

"Personally," Kohaku piped in from behind her newspaper. "I'm just amazed that you weren't concerned about the whole thing with Mutou, Mei."

"Eh, we could use the extra pair of hands," Mei said, shrugging. "Plus, he's a strong guy, and we _really_ need some of that."

Kohaku blew out some air and shook her head in agreement. She folded over her paper and set it aside, now grabbing the latest issue of one of her business magazines that Mei never bothered to learn the name of and looked far too boring for her to care anyway.

Going back to Haruhi, Mei found the girl had put her book down and was now staring aimlessly at the chalkboard, where Kasumi was doodling some kind of animal and whistling a song. Mei gave a crooked smile.

"Feeling flustered?" she asked.

"Not really," said the ever calm Haruhi. "Actually, I'd be happy to see him acting more social. Don't forget, his family is going through some very serious problems. Who knows if it isn't actually worse than we think? It would be good for Senpai to find some more friends. He's clearly not happy being alone, so social activity is probably what he needs to get out of the dumps. So long as he's careful and doesn't reveal his true identity, but I'm not too worried about that. I think he's learned his lesson after what happened with us."

Mei's mouth had fallen open somewhere in the middle of Haruhi's speech. It wasn't all the way down and so she didn't notice for a long time after Haruhi had finished. She gave a silent laugh and leaned back so far, the bare ends of her hair were mere inches away from touching the floor.

"Wow, you really _do_ have it bad," she said.

Haruhi sighed and went back to her book.

* * *

><p><em><strong>When I gave Kurosawa advice about improving himself, I'll admit my main intention was to keep myself at out of the nurse's office (or the hospital). And even though I succeeded in keeping my face and body intact, I had no idea if he would actually listen to me. I hoped he would, both for my own sake and his. In spite of everything, I couldn't help feeling bad for him once I realized his aggression was fueled by insecurity. My only hope for him is that he can truly improve himself and earn back Oshiro's respect. <strong>_

_**I believe in true love and I believe that it can conquer all. For that reason, I'm not too worried. This situation with Mutou and Konimi I'm much less sure of. So far, Konimi has given no indication that she even knows who Mutou is. He does seem like a more amiable fellow than Kurosawa. That might work in his favor. Worst comes to worst, I may have to step in again to steer Mutou in the right direction. That is assuming Konimi comes to show something for him, of course.**_

_**But now there's even more people approaching me for advice. I can hardly believe how fast word travels in this school! **_

_**It's been a day since that young lady came to call on me, and I've been having more and more people coming to ask about boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes, you name it! That's not all either. Our latest test results came out today, and I was at the top of the class. That didn't surprise me, before coming to Genpaku, I had studied with top professors in the best boarding school France had to offer. This school's curriculum, while not juvenile or otherwise bad, is mostly made up of subjects I've already studied. **_

_**Of course, no one can know any of that, and I'm left looking like some kind of genius when all I ever did was have strict tutors.**_

_**I've had around 12 classmates coming to ask (or beg in some cases) for me to help them study. I've had to politely turn them all down, as I was warned by Katsuo-san about staying after school any later than club hours allow. I can't risk alienating him and I don't want to anyway. Believe me when I say I know exactly how important it is that I follow his rules to the letter.**_

_**So this is how my day been. All of a sudden, I have more new aquaintances than I ever thought possible. I've gone from barely noticed to right in the spotlight, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying it.**_

_**What can I say? Someone like me isn't meant to be ignored. It's not even a matter of being good looking, though I am even with this darkened hair and eyes of mine, but that I am far too social. I love talking to people and having them talk back to me. Commoners especially are so interesting. I feel like I'm finally going to start learning about how they live. **_

_**Maybe I should talk to Haruhi about that. Kohaku or Kasumi might be good to talk to as well. Mei-san… I really don't know what to say about her anymore.**_

_**The only think that really bothers me about all this is Sato-san, the last of Kurosawa's group of friends. Kurosawa has been spending the day in a dreamlike state, probably thinking about Oshiro, and Mutou is similarily off in his own world. Sato is left to alternate between looking out the window, at his workbooks, and at me. He isn't glaring at me either, just looking with a distinct lack of emotion.**_

_**I wish I knew what he was thinking about and what he's going to do.**_

_**My mind is telling me it can't be anything good, but I don't know.**_

_**If he's anything like his friends, I may have nothing to worry about.**_

* * *

><p>"So that's all you have to know about quadratic equations. Do you understand everything, Makino-san?"<p>

The girl beside Tamaki, tall and gangly with a bob haircut and stylish glasses covering beady brown eyes, nodded as her cheek tinged with pink. She mumbled something Tamaki couldn't catch, but assumed was an affirmative response. He handed her notebook back with a smile that she shakily returned as she whispered another soft goodbye and quickly turned away.

Tamaki watched her go, unperturbed by her shyness and just happy he could have helped her. He knew seeing her passing grade would be wonderful for the both of them.

Rubbing the kinks out of his neck, Tamaki cast a glance at the walk clock and took note of the ten minutes he had until rehearsal started. He gathered his things together, placing them neatly in his bag the way his mother had always drilled him to. He'd have a cluttered mess on his hands and never find anything, she would say.

He tried to be quick about it, though. The play would premiere next Saturday, and Ichirou had demanded that the crew be on time every day for now on so they could go over where everyone was to stand when not working. The young director was becoming increasingly tense with each passing day. By the time he was freaking out over Kasumi putting a vase on the small table instead of the medium sized one, Tamaki feared he'd soon give himself a full blown panic attack.

'_I should talk to him, see if I can get him to calm down a little…' _his inner voice said, and he nodded in agreement.

Heading out of the library, Tamaki followed the now familiar path to the auditorium. Despite his need for punctuality, the walk was slower than usual that day, mainly because there were still many other students loitering around their lockers and the water fountains. Many of them took notice when he walked by.

"Hey, Okada!" one girl said. "How are you?"

"Just fine," Tamaki answered with a slight wave of his hand. "Heading for rehearsal. We've got a lot of work to do."

"Good luck!" the girl called out as he started to move out of earshot. Tamaki could have sworn he heard her start to giggle, but that might have been his imagination, or else one of the other girls who greeted him when he passed. There were a lot of them.

"Afternoon, Okada!"

"Okada-kun, nice to see you."

"Thanks for correcting my English assignment, Okada-kun. You're a real lifesaver!"

And even if they didn't speak, they still stared, blushing and smiling at him, and Tamaki loved it. He hadn't felt so at ease in months, so much like nothing had changed and everything was okay. Though fear still lingered in the back of his mind, he could ignore it for now. He could ignore it because for once, things were going his way and continuing to do so for a long period of time. Tamaki didn't think anything could bring him off his cloud, he was much too happy and enjoying himself far too much.

He was so happy, his gentle smile didn't leave his face for a long time after he turned the corner and found Sato waiting for him with a hard and unfeeling look. It took Sato grabbing him roughly by the arm and literally dragging him away for Tamaki's mind to register the danger.

"Wha- huh?" was all he could get out as Sato jerked to the side towards a heavy looking door with no window and badly chipped brown paint. Sato ripped the door open, bodily threw Tamaki inside and slammed it shut, plunging the tiny room into darkness. Tamaki had just enough time to spot a mop and bucket in one corner before this happened, indicating that this was a broom closet of some kind. Why Sato would want to bring him in here was anyone's guess, but Tamaki didn't imagine it was something good.

A dim light bulb went on, illuminated Sato's thuggish face and eyes boring into Tamaki's. Unlike his two friends, Sato wasn't much taller than Tamaki. Actually, now that they were standing so close, Tamaki could see the boy was about an inch shorter. Even so, he cast a large and intimidating shadow that left Tamaki shaking and feeling no more than six inches tall.

"We need to talk," Sato's deep voice rumbled.

Tamaki swallowed. "O-okay, what about?"

'Please don't hurt me,' he inwardly begged. 'Please whatever it is I'll make it up to you, just don't hurt me in this tiny closet I can't escape from!'

"You've been talking about dating," Sato said. "I've watched you all day. You got Mutou all crazy over that Konimi and Oshiro to like Kurosawa again. I don't know how you're doing it-"

"I'm not really doing anything," Tamaki suddenly interrupted. "Just giving my opinions and what I think the right direction for them may be, it's no big-"

"Shut up," Sato said curtly. There was no bite behind it, but Tamaki fell silent anyway. He wasn't willing to take risks at the moment. Not until he knew for sure what this was all about.

"I'm sorry," he said, forcing himself to adopt the firm tone he'd used when dealing with Kurosawa. It was markedly less easy right now. "I didn't mean to insult you. Please continue."

Sato looked down at their feet for a moment, almost like he was ashamed of something. This idea made Tamaki simultaneously feel like laughing and shivering with fear.

"I need your help," Sato said in a low voice. "Because I also have someone I like, and I'm not sure what to do about it."

Tamaki refrained from sighing in relief. For all he knew, Sato might take it the wrong way and knock him out, then leave him in this closet for the rats to pick at. Before those mental images could fully invade his mind, Tamaki spoke:

"Alright, why don't you tell me about her."

Sato didn't answer, and his lips tightened as he looked down again, this time not coming back up at all.

"Sato-kun?" Tamaki asked, the honorific sliding past his lips all on it's own.

Sato mumbled something unintelligible and shifted his weigth from one foot to the other.

"Sato," Tamaki said again with just a tiny bit more force. "Sato, I can't help you if you don't at least tell me her name. Is she someone I know?"

A long pause followed, one Tamaki couldn't time as the light wasn't bright enough for him to see his watch. He was beginning to wonder if Sato had somehow fallen asleep while standing when the boy suddenly shook his head and let out something resembling a groan.

"It's not like that," he muttered.

Tamaki furrowed his brow and leaned over slight.

"Not like what?" he prodded.

Sato didn't move an inch, not even when he release a hard sigh and his eyes went all the way up to meet Tamaki's gaze.

"I mean it's not… it's not a _girl_ that I'm interested in…"

Sato's words came out with more and more force by the second, like the simple act of speaking had sudden become tortuous for him. It didn't take Tamaki more than a second to figure out why.

"Oh," he said, his eyes going wide as saucers. "_Oh_… Okay, then. I must admit, I didn't expect that, but love is love after all! Tell me about _him_ then. Do I know him?"

"Yeah…" Sato said, suddenly finding the dirty washcloths hung up by a set of nails very compelling.

"Is he also interested in men?"

Sato snorted. "You kidding? He's been all the way out since forever. I mean, he's not like a crazy stereotype or anything, but he doesn't hide it either."

Tamaki nodded, and then his eyes widened a second time as everything clicked into place and the identity of Sato's crush became clear.

"Wait a minute," he said incredulously. "You want to date _Ichirou?"_

Sato raised his arms defensively and even inched back a bit. Once he'd caught himself, his body relaxed, but his arms didn't drop back to his sides. He looked more tense than ever before.

"Have you even spoke to him?" Tamaki pressed on.

"I've tried," Sato said a little too loudly. "I just don't… you know, it's not easy when you haven't told anyone and then you try to talk to the guy and not make it look-"

"You've never told anyone?"

Sato scowled and took a threatening step forward. Sensing danger, Tamaki shrunk back and brought up his hands to cover his face.

"I apologize for interrupting again," he said quickly. "But have you really _never _told anyone that you're gay?"

"Don't say that!" Sato snapped. "Why do you have to be so… blunt about it?"

"Well, it's the truth, isn't it?" Tamaki answered back in foolish bravery. "Or are you bisexual?"

"It's none of your damn business what I am," Sato growled and moved in closer, forcing Tamaki up against a wall with no way to put anymore space between them. "I didn't come here to ask for psychotherapy, I want to know how to talk to Ichirou. That's all. If you can't help with that, I'll leave and you'd better forget we ever had this conversation. Because if I find out you told someone about me, I will reach down your throat and rip out your spine, got it?"

He raised a meaty fist, but kept it stationary. His threat rang true regardless, and Tamaki felt an indescribable fear as he struggled to keep his shaking knees from buckling. That would be the last thing he needed right now.

"Okay," he said weakly. "I understand. I can't guarantee that Ichirou will go out with you, but you might want to start by actually talking to him."

"I told you, I've tried that," Sato said through grit teeth.

"Maybe if you brought him a gift?" Tamaki said thoughtfully. "I know he likes hard candies. Some of the actors gave him a box last week to thank him for all his hard work and he was ecstatic. In addition, you might want to apologize for that day you and your friends came by to make fun of us."

"Hey, I wasn't involved in that!" Sato cried. "I didn't say a word."

"I know," Tamaki said, though he only now remembered that Sato really hadn't joined in with his friend's insults that day. At least now he understood the reasons behind it. "But you didn't try to stop it either. Ichirou was pretty upset, so I'd say your best bet is to just say your sorry upfront. I don't know that he'll accept, but I believe if you're sincere enough, he'll know that you mean it."

"I don't know about that," Sato admitted. "You may not have noticed, but Ichirou isn't the easiest person to get through to. He's always convinced that he's right and nothing else matters. I swear, it pisses me off sometimes."

"But you _do_ like him?"

"Of course! What have me been talking about all this time, dumbass?"

Sato glared hard at Tamaki, but that and his name calling fell flat thanks to the sweat on his brow that gave away how anxious he really was. Tamaki's fear had long since left him, replaced by sympathy for this boy and his plight. He wondered if this was the reason he chose to befriend bullies, and follow along with their actions like it was nothing. He looked into Sato's eyes and found little more than desperation, like a lost child who didn't know where to go. It almost amazed Tamaki that he'd been so terrified of him just a few minutes ago.

"If you truly have feelings for Ichirou," he started slowly. "Then you need to tell him, and you need to be gentle about it. Don't try to force it, let him decide if he wants to try. And definitely apologize. Do that first thing."

Sato frowned and mumbled something under his breath that sounded distinctly like, 'I hate apologies.' Tamaki quirked a smile, but dropped it when Sato's sharp gaze fell once again upon him.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem! I'm glad I could have helped," Tamaki answered cheerfully, making a conscious decision to ignore Sato's lack of enthusiasm as he bypassed him on his way to the door. It wasn't as difficult as the cramped space suggested, and Tamaki was in fairly good spirits as he reached for the doorknob and turned it.

It didn't budge.

Tamaki's grip on the cool metal fell momentarily slack, but he gathered himself back up and tried again. And then again. And then again.

Nothing.

"This door is stuck," he whispered before rounding on the unfazed Sato, terror-stricken. "The door won't open! I think we're locked in! I think…"

Tamaki trailed off he began to imagine himself and Sato trapped in this small, bad smelling closet for the rest of the day, left behind by their peers, forgotten by the school janitors, alone for days growing weaker and weaker as Tamaki went through all of his regrets, including never seeing his family again, and not being able to help Haruhi enjoy life.

As he slowly slid to the ground and pulled his legs to his body protectively, Sato gave him a flat look and sighed heavily. He went to the door, stepping past Tamaki's fallen form in the process, and began fiddling with the knob.

"For a smart guy, you're pretty stupid. You know that?" he said casually, like this was the most obvious thing in the world and in no way insulting. "These broom closets are total crap and the doors can't even lock right. Trust me, I've been in here a bunch of times. All you have to do to get this door open is turn the knob to right three times, and then to the left, like so."

Sato performed these actions, Tamaki looking on in wonderment, and as promised, the door sprang open, allowing fresh air to flow inside and cool Tamaki's body.

"O-oh," he said, getting to his feet. This was somewhat difficult thanks to his badly shaking knees. "I see, well… I'll try to remember that."

"Good luck…" Sato said with a snide smile.

Tamaki disregarded that as well. He was happy to quietly exit the stuffy room, Sato in his wake, and get several feet away from it before suddenly stopping and turning back around. This action surprised Sato, if the look on his face was any indication, but Tamaki was the one most amazed by what he was doing.

"You really shouldn't keep this a secret, though," he said. "Not from the people who love and care about you. If they truly do, they will accept you."

Sato opened his mouth and appeared to be trying to figure out a retort. Tamaki realized his best bet was to keep going, before Sato either succeeded or decided to forget that and just let the first fly.

"I'm not going to say anything about this to anyone, not because I'm afraid of you, but because it isn't my secret to tell. I do hope that _you_ will find the courage to tell someone yourself someday soon. Until then, feel free to talk to me whenever you like. I'll be happy to listen."

And he turned on a heel and started walking again before Sato could make a move. When no footsteps appeared in time with Tamaki's, he knew that no one was following him, and let out a huge puff of air before adopting a gentle smile.

"That went pretty well," he said to himself.

A pair of large double doors slowly became visible. Even from far away, Tamaki could see the small sliver of black space that indicated one was partially open. Noises filtered through, words and banging and the tinkling of a piano mixing together and assaulting Tamaki's ears. It grew steadily louder, and Tamaki was almost able to make out what was being said when the door burst open without warning, revealing Kasumi on the other end. She stared directly at Tamaki, who stopped in his tracks to stare back. Then Kasumi's face broke out in a grin.

"Hey, guys!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Come on out, he's here!"

"Huh?"

Tamaki's unspoken question was answered when, one by one, the rest of his clubmates filed out of the theater. Haruhi brought up the rear, and smiled at Tamaki in a way that made his heart skip a beat. He kept his eyes on her, even as Kasumi and Mei stepped forward.

"What took you so long?" Kasumi asked. "We've been waiting."

"We have something very important to tell you," Mei said teasingly.

Tamaki blinked. "Is something wrong?"

The two girls glanced at each other with near identical smirks.

"Everything's fine," Kasumi said. "Really fine, actually. We wanted to thank you for all your hard work as our club manager."

They both bowed respectfully, though Mei's was more of a nod than anything else. Tamaki looked over at Kohaku and Haruhi, to find them watching with small smiles that belied their agreement.

"It's nothing really," Tamaki said. "You don't have to thank me."

Mei shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I say we do. I mean, I know I wasn't too happy with you taking over the club I started… and I'm still not honestly… but you really have done a good job and I think…"

She pursed her lips and looked away, causing Kasumi to glare at her from the side.

"What Mei is trying to say is that we're having a lot more fun with this than we thought we would," she said. "And because of that, we'd like to do something for you in return."

"Something for me?" Tamaki repeated.

"It was my idea!" Kohaku loudly proclaimed as she and Haruhi came to join the rest of the group.

Everyone gave her looks, which she met with a smug smile and no shame. Then Haruhi cleared her throat, and instantly had Tamaki full and undivided attention.

"It's true… some of us have been unsure about all this, but now I'm starting to think… maybe this isn't so bad."

"We've been having fun," Kasumi interjected, to Tamaki's slight disappointment. "I really like helping to paint the sets."

"Some of the people there are actually pretty okay," Kohaku said. "I mean, it's not like when I was in the Politics club, but there are some smart people here. Not to mention you've displayed decent leadership abilities. I have a bit more faith in you now."

"Oh, thank you," Tamaki said, a bit unsure even as joy welled up inside of him. It was all he could do not to pull the four girls into a giant group hug and wait for them to finish. Mei cleared her throat.

"So this Thursday is a half-day," she said. "And Ichirou has some kind of important doctor's appointment, which means rehearsal is cancelled for the day. We were thinking of going out to eat and walk around town and we wanted to treat you."

Tamaki gasped.

"What, you want to-" his eyes darted all around, looking for any hint that they might not be serious. "But I can't ask you to spend money on me. Don't you need it?"

"What are you trying to imply? We're not rich, but we're not destitute either," Kohaku said.

"We want to do it," Kasumi said, far more gently than Kohaku even could have. "We already told you, it's just our way of saying thanks."

"You'll get to go to all those places you've been talking about," Mei said, moving to stand in front of Kasumi. "You know, like the arcade and the mall, and Haruhi's probably going to want the library or something…"

At the mention of her name, Tamaki sought Haruhi out again. She gazed back at him, still smiling and showing no signs of anger or bitterness or anything relating to their conversation the other day. He hadn't said more than a few words to her since then, and even though only two days had gone by, Tamaki felt rather down whenever he thought of her.

"So, you're all in agreement?" he asked them all, even though his eyes never left Haruhi's.

While the other three voiced their affirmative answers, Haruhi only nodded. Tamaki could see, regardless, that she wasn't faking it. He wished he knew specifically what she was thinking, if the desire to leave still there. That was something he'd have to keep working on, and in just two days, there would be plenty of time for that.

"Well, in that case," Tamaki said, excitement already starting to overtake him. "I can't wait!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** **Chapter 7 is finally here! :D**

**Things are going to really pick up from here. You might want to keep the first part of this chapter in mind as you read the next few...**


	8. Culture Club

Tamaki was the last to arrive on Thursday. He would have gone with them right after class, but he didn't exactly have that luxury. Not when a certain bodyguard of his was always on his tail.

"It's just a few hours," he'd told Katsuo-san over the phone while hiding in a very empty classroom. He made sure to check thoroughly this time. "I'll be back… at most an hour later than usual. It's just that we really need to get all this work done by Saturday. You understand, right?"

Katsuo-san really didn't, and that was clear in the harsh tone of his voice when he'd begrudgingly given Tamaki permission to stay. He made Tamaki swear to be home no later than 7:30 and _not to leave the campus until then no matter what._ Then he'd, rather forcefully, hung up the phone and left Tamaki to guiltily listen to the call signal.

Once he was done dissolving into a pile of shame and self-loathing for lying to his faithful protector, he left the school grounds and rode a city bus into the town square where the others were waiting for him.

They were still in there uniforms, though Mei and Kohaku had removed their jackets and Kasumi's was unbuttoned. Only Haruhi still looked in pristine condition. Her brown hair blew in the wind, but always fell back into place. Tamaki's face heated up when she smiled at him in greeting, but he was saved from further embarrassment when Mei suddenly jumped in between them, getting all up in Tamaki's space.

"Well, sure took you long enough to arrive," she said accusingly.

"I had to tell Katsuo-san not to worry about me," Tamaki said, backing away from her. "You know how he is about my safety."

Mei crossed her arms and stuck up her nose. "A total hard-ass, if you ask me. What's he so worried about anyway?"

Tamaki gave a nervous laugh, but said no more. Mei had already lost interest anyway as she turned to face the rest of their small group.

"Alright, now that our fearless leader has decided to grace us with his presence," she shot Tamaki another look. "We can finally get something to eat and then go shopping, so let's go. Come on, Suoh."

She followed up by grabbing Tamaki's shirt collar and pulling him roughing to the curb. The others were close behind, Haruhi, for once, at the forefront. She came to walk beside Tamaki, whom Mei had seen fit to let go of while crossing the street.

"I know this is supposed to be your day," she said. "But I was hoping we could make a quick stop at the library."

Tamaki looked at her, taking note of the school bag swinging at her side.

"Looking for a new book?"

She shrugged. "Just returning an old one, but we'll see."

Tamaki nodded and looked away. He had a sudden, inexplicable urge to wrap an arm across Haruhi's shoulders and pull her close. Why he'd want to do that, he didn't know. It was strange to the point where he almost stopped walking when it first hit him. He wasn't so lost in his fantasies of a day the world of Commoners to stop in the middle of the street, though.

They crossed to the other side, and by then the feeling had passed. Tamaki was content to push it to the back of his mind and possibly worry about it later. Or not at all.

Or a lot.

* * *

><p>"This is FANTASTIC!"<p>

A few people at nearby tables glanced at them with the barest interest, but Tamaki's fifth exclamation of the day mostly went ignored. It was a good thing, because Mei looked ready to smash a plate over his head if he did it again.

Haruhi, for her part, was bewildered and slightly amazed that anyone could take a simple meal of bento so seriously. The little shop they had found was a far cry from the fast food joint Mei had suggested. That place had been extremely crowded and Haruhi couldn't stand that place anyway. The one at the flea market was better, but that was all the way across town.

Once that idea had been shot down, the girls debated over where they should go instead, and then Tamaki had spotted this place, tucked between a liquor store and a bank. There was no going back after that, no matter how much Kohaku tried to convince him that the bigger restaurant down the street was better.

"I've always wanted to try bento," he'd said. "And today is supposed to be my day, isn't it?"

Haruhi wondered how many times he'd have to use to use that today. Knowing Kohaku, and especially Mei, he was going to have yelled himself hoarse by the end of the day. They were still sulking even when devouring plates of food.

"Makino's is so much better than this place," Kohaku grumbled with a mouthful of noodles.

Haruhi winced when a stray bit of noodle flew from the other girl's mouth and almost hit her. She inched her chair to the side, closer to Tamaki-senpai. He was too engrossed in his own food to notice her, at least, that's what she thought.

"So you eat this sort of thing every day?" he asked her.

Haruhi looked at him, not fully registering at first that he was speaking to her.

"Huh? Oh, no, not every day. Actually, I don't often come out to eat at all."

Tamaki gasped. "That's right, I forgot! You cook your own food, don't you? That must be exhausting."

"No, I enjoy it," Haruhi said with a wistful smile. "My mom taught me a lot of recipes before she died, she was an amazing cook. My dad always says I'm just as good, and I know he might just be saying that, but it's nice to..."

Her last word hung on her tongue, because somewhere along the line, her Senpai's face had fallen. His forkful of noodles was lowered back into the bowl, and his eyes filled with big, fat tears. Haruhi blinked at him, about to question him when he launched himself at her, pulling her into a tight and unrelenting hug as he cried freely.

"Oh, Haruhi! I'm so sorry! I didn't know your mother had died. If I had, I never would have mentioned her so carelessly that day. Oh, you must have been so sad going home, crying for your poor mother to come back and make it all better. You poor, sweet thing. It's okay, you can cry in my arms if you need to!"

"You're doing enough for the both of us," Haruhi said, cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. Mei and Kohaku were laughing their heads off, and just generally doing nothing helpful whatsoever. Even Kasumi had to shove food into her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Haruhi tried to escape his grip, but it was like iron. He was a lot stronger than he looked, it seemed. And he just went on gushing.

"What a brave girl you are, to overcome your pain and stay strong. Oh, I envy you, Haruhi. I get so afraid going to sleep every night and thinking I won't ever see my family again, and here you are marching on with no fear. You are truly an inspiration."

"Senpai, please… I can't breathe… and people are staring…"

* * *

><p>One hour later found Tamaki and the others at the local supermarket. It was a pretty slow day for them, with only ten or so more people wandering the aisles. Haruhi was glad to be there, if only so she could get the prices on some newly stocked canned soup.<p>

While she was busy with that, Tamaki, Mei and Kasumi were two aisles away, watching the former stare at rows upon rows of tins and bottles. He had the countenance of a man witnessing the coming of a God.

"So you're telling me, this coffee isn't gourmet, whole bean or even already ground," he said reverently. "But that you just have to add water to make it?"

Mei and Kasumi shared a look, as if daring each other to be the one to answer him. In the end, Mei would be the one to step up, albeit reluctantly.

"Yeah, it takes like a second of work, and then you have coffee."

"Wow…" Tamaki pulled off a brown tinted bottle at the very top. He turned it all the way around, reading whatever piece of miniscule print he could manage. "Commoners sure have come up with some amazing things. I have to try it."

Kasumi let out a choked laugh, which she covered with a few more coughs and a hand over her mouth. Then she started off towards the end of the aisle.

"Well, I'm going to stretch my legs a little," she said. "If you need me, I'll be in the produce section with Kasumi."

"Have fun," Tamaki called after her without taking his eyes off the coffee. "Be sure to bring her and Haruhi over here! I want to know which kind of instant coffee they like best so I can make it our official club drink!"

Mei stared at his back incredulously.

"How does someone get _that _worked up over crappy coffee?"

* * *

><p>"Okay," Mei said over the beeps and bells and whistles permeating the air. "We shouldn't have too much trouble here. Not like Suoh can try to buy everything like he did at the grocery store."<p>

"Don't act so relieved," said Kasumi. "He can still blow all your money on games."

Mei dug her sandal covered feet into the brightly colored carpet. She leaned against a vacant pinball machine, pulling at the lever with disinterest. Around her, various kids and adults ran about, going from game to game and collecting armfuls of tickets. The rest of their small group had long since abandoned them in favor of a favorite game of theirs. Kohaku, shockingly enough, was proficient in Pac-Man. She'd been hogging the sole game machine for close to two hours, much to the consternation of the pair of boys shouting at her to give them a turn. She was good at tuning them out, it seemed.

Even Haruhi, whom neither Mei nor Kasumi imagined would have even a slight interest in arcades, had been by the skee-ball lanes, playing on and off and racking up a decent number of points. She didn't care about the tickets, though. She'd already given most of hers away to some kids walking by. Kasumi herself had been busy with that pinball game before Mei decided to invade her space.

And then, there was Tamaki.

A mini basketball sailed over their heads, bouncing harmlessly off a kiddie ride and to the floor. Back at the basketball game, an employee was sighing in frustration while Tamaki several times in quick succession.

"Sir, I am sorry. Very sorry," he said. "I got too excited, I meant to aim much lower, please forgive me."

"It's fine," the man said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just… have you considered a different game, sir?"

Tamaki thought for a second. "Well, I do see a friend of mine over by that skee-ball game. How do you play that?"

"…er, you know what? You should try a racing game. I bet that would be right up your alley."

"Really?" Tamaki said, eyes sparkling. "That's so kind of you, my good man! I may just take you up on that."

"Sounds great," said the relieved man.

Mei and Kasumi watched them walk off, the man steering their grinning leader to one of the many racecar games. Kohaku sauntered over in the interim, a wad of tickets clenched in her fist.

"He's very… exuberant today," she said.

"He's acting like a hyperactive child," said Kasumi. "What's with him?"

"Maybe we're finally seeing the real Tamaki Suoh," Mei said, for once keeping her voice down when saying his real name. "He's certainly happier than usual. What do you think, Haruhi?"

Haruhi, who'd been walking aimlessly over from the skee-ball lanes, stopped short. She stared at Mei, who didn't bother looking at her. Over by the racing games, Tamaki was spinning his wheel without a care. He seemed far too amused by the game itself to care that he was coming in last.

"He's having fun," she said.

And now, Mei did turn around. She gave Haruhi a knowing look, eyes dancing, a grin barely suppressed aside from a twitching of her lips. Haruhi ignored it for as long as she could, keeping her eyes straight ahead and veered to the left, right on the back of Tamaki's head. He was oddly entertaining to watch, in his boundless enthusiasm even in the face of everyone else's weird stares. As long as nobody (read: Mei) said anything, she could continue on like this until he was done.

"It's kind of cute, isn't it?" Mei said after a lengthy pause. "He's really opening up. I it's safe to say this outing was a complete success!"

Mei kicked out her legs, leaning back as far as the stool she sat on would allow.

"You're acting like it was your idea or something," Kasumi said.

Mei shot her a look that Kasumi was only too happy to return. While they went on with their staring contest, Haruhi shifted a little in her seat. She sought out Kohaku, easily finding her over by the Whack-A-Mole game, tapping her foot and huffing behind the two little boys currently playing. She turned to look at Tamaki again, fully expecting to see him fiddling around in his pockets for more game tokens.

He wasn't there.

Haruhi's lips came together, and she blinked once. Then a hand reached out from nowhere and snatched her by the wrist. Haruhi yelped as she was pulling into a tight hug, only barely getting a glimpse of Tamaki's joyful grin to confirm that it wasn't some perverted stranger attacking her.

"Haruhi, isn't this place wonderful?" He spun her around once, her feet lifting off the ground and almost kicking Mei in the shin. "I've never seen anything like it! The lights, the sounds, the smells, it's all so magical!"

He let go, clasping his hands in front of himself and practically swooning. The run down games and caked in bits of candy and popcorn on the walls and floors were like diamonds in his eyes. Haruhi glanced at Mei and Kasumi who, as usual, were too busy snickering to offer any help. Too bad Kohaku wasn't here, she'd certainly have a lot to say…

Actually, maybe they were better off.

Haruhi wasn't conscious of Tamaki taking her by the hand, gently this time, until he was pulling her away from Mei and Kasumi, passed the racing games, passed the prize table, and over to a large TV screen with flashing light and a pair of metal dance pads before it. Loud and cheerful music issued from the speakers, drowning out Haruhi's little noises of protest, but somehow not Tamaki's voice.

"Look, Haruhi! I finished play that wonderful racing game and found this one. The man said it's a dancing game for two."

And with that, Haruhi knew exactly what Tamaki was thinking. She began fighting harder against his grip, digging her feet into the carpet and jerking back with all her might. It wasn't enough to get her free, but it did make Tamaki stop and turn around, confused.

"I don't like those kind of games," Haruhi said. She didn't know why, but the look on his face made her uncomfortable, like she couldn't look straight at him.

Tamaki pouted. "But Haruhi, it looks like fun. Come on, play with me!"

He gave her no more opportunities to argue, running with her to the dance machine and stepping up. Haruhi had no choice but to follow suit, hoping that he would then let her go, thinking she wouldn't try to leave once she was already there. When she standing in the middle of the mat and the pressure applied to her arm let up, she moved to do just that. She turned her back to him, took one step forward, and then his voice stopped her.

"Haruhi, won't you play one game with me?"

She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. It calmed the raging annoyance building in her stomach, but only just.

"I told you-"

"I know," Tamaki said, oddly soft in tone. "How about I play a game you like afterwards?"

"Senpai-"

Any semblance of an objection beyond that one word died on Haruhi's throat when she spun around to look him in the eye (really look this time), and found what could only be described as the world's most over the top 'Puppy-Dog' face. Her Senpai's eyes appeared to have shrunk to sad pinpoints, and his lips where curled in a quivering frown. Haruhi's stomach flipped unpleasantly. It wasn't unlike a swift kick delivered with perfect accuracy to her gut. The longer she look at that face, the more inclined she was to just give in. It was like he held a hypnotic hold over her, and the next thing Haruhi knew, she was stepping back into the middle of her dance pad and Tamaki was beaming.

"Yay! Thank you, Haruhi! This is going to be such fun!"

He slid the tokens into the machine, double for the both of them, and then the screen flashed to life. It spoke in a low pitched, auto tune voice Haruhi couldn't make out. Words like 'players' and 'dance' and 'ready' stuck out to her, but that was about it.

She waited patiently while Tamaki fidgeted with the controls, trying to pick a song for them while seeming to have no idea what any of them actually were. He finally made his selection, and the music rang out loud enough that Haruhi was sure her ears were ringing.

"Alright, Haruhi, let's do this!" Tamaki said, loudly and passionately with his hand fisted in front of him. He appeared to be emulating some kind of war hero going into battle. Haruhi wondered if he'd been watching any historical dramas on TV lately because this was strangely familiar.

Resigned, Haruhi focused on the screen and tried to follow along with the dance moves. 'Tried' is the key word, because as Haruhi suspected, she was absolutely terrible at dancing games. Whenever the arrows lit up on her mat, her foot was there two seconds too late and she had no hope of catching up. She didn't know how Tamaki was doing, the ugly sounds her side emitted whenever she missed a step drowned his side out completely. By the second chorus, Haruhi was pretty much done trying and just stood awkwardly as a small crowd gathered to snicker and stare at them. Haruhi didn't know why until she finally glanced at Tamaki, just in time for him to whirl around and grab her by the arms.

"Come on, dance with me!"

"That's what I've been trying to do," Haruhi said under her breath. He was looking at her funny again, but thankfully it wasn't the Puppy face.

"But let's dance for real," he said, crossing his arms. "I don't really like this kind of dancing, but it's still a fun song and I don't want to waste tokens."

He reached out and wrapped an arm around Haruhi's waste to pull her in. Haruhi stumbled, not prepared for his sudden forwardness. She felt her face grow warm inexplicably, and had she been looking up instead of straight ahead at his clothed chest, she would have known that her Senpai looked quite the same. He hesitated a moment, then took her hand in his and lead her in a more traditional, yet vibrant dance. He pulled her in and pushed her out, spun her in and spun her out, all the while laughing and grinning like he was the happiest man alive.

"Senpai," Haruhi said loudly over the music and sea of whispering voices surrounding them. "This isn't how you play the game."

"Right now, it's _our_ game," Tamaki said, turning up his nose to her arguments. "So we'll play however we want. Why, aren't you having fun?"

Haruhi opened her mouth wordlessly. The music was getting louder and she could no longer hear anything else. Tamaki started again when he received no objections, Haruhi moving in time with him, even as they continued to mess up and that awful buzzing sound repeated like a broken record. Interwoven where the little dings those rare times one of them was lucky enough to step on the right arrow at the right time. Haruhi spun herself out the next time, catching a glimpse of the girls standing with the crowd and cheering them on. Mei even let out a few whoops and earned an eye roll from Kasumi.

Haruhi came back into Tamaki's embrace, and saw his own childlike grin of pure joy, and suddenly, she was smiling back at him.

'_It's weird, but… I'm glad we did this.'_

The song came to an end, and the air filled with applause.

* * *

><p>They walked against the setting sun to the library, Mei and Kasumi in front, Kohaku, Haruhi and Tamaki bringing up the rear. Mei was rubbing her eyes and yawning, something about not getting home in time for her afternoon nap and that she might just fall asleep mid-step. Kasumi didn't believe her, but kept a foot away from her anyway, just in case the other girl fell in her direction. Kohaku was staring at the passing shop signs, bored and uninterested in anything her friends were doing. That, or she was just as tired of Tamaki's cheeriness as the rest of them, sans maybe Haruhi. She, at least, was kind enough to answer whenever Tamaki shoved his palm sized plastic dinosaur in her face.<p>

"Isn't he wonderful?" Tamaki asked, eyes sparkling and face glowing. "Those two tickets were hard earned indeed, and this little guy is the fruit of my labors! He'll be one of my most prized possessions, let me tell you!"

"You _have _told us sixteen times," Kohaku said out the corner of her mouth.

"He's nice, Senpai," Haruhi said. "I didn't know you liked dinosaurs so much."

"Well, normally they kind of scare me," Tamaki admitted, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "But there's nothing scary about them when they're this small. Besides, this one will always serves as a reminder for me, of what a wonderful day I spent with you."

He looked deep into Haruhi's eyes as he spoke, to the point where she had to wonder if he was speaking about all of them or just her.

Now wouldn't that be strange?

Strange, but not really bad.

Haruhi looked away, staring at the steadily approaching curb. The library was off in the distance, still far from them, but close enough that it's dome shape and bright lights could be seen even from three blocks away. Another few minutes, and they'd be standing at the front doors.

"So do you know yet what book you're getting?"

Haruhi cast a glance at him. His stare no longer held the intensity of before, and so she felt more at ease.

They were almost at the corner.

"No, not yet," she said. "I may just drop my old book off and-"

A piercing crack cut her off. The sound was so loud, ripping through Haruhi's eardrums. For one, terrifying second, Haruhi though she might have gone deaf, and there was a ringing in her ears that it took her far too long to realize was Tamaki screaming.

Haruhi sought out the source of the noise, and found a police car pulled up in front of a small grocery store. Two policemen, one holding a smoking gun, the other dragging out a handcuffed, masked man with a bleeding shoulder. They pushed him into the car, the first cop going back to talk to the clearly shaken shop owner who had almost been robbed.

The second cop slammed the door on the criminal, then looked around and caught sight of the five of them.

"Move along, kids," he told them. "Nothing to see here."

He motioned for them to keep walking. Mei moaned childishly, but Kasumi and Kohaku were happy to follow the man's instructions. Of course, Kohaku wouldn't let it go without first muttering to herself the usual about crime rates and 'that's what happens when you let liberals in charge of anything.' Haruhi had heard it all before.

She turned to Tamaki, expecting him to be right behind her, shaken, maybe crying dramatic tears, but otherwise no worse for the wear and ready to recover from the shock one block away. He was flat against a brick wall, slowly sliding down as his knees buckled. His face was pure white, sweat gleaming in the lamp light. His breath came out in painful gasps, and everything from the top of his head to the tips of his toes shook violently. Just looking at him like this made Haruhi feel more fear than that armed criminal had.

"Tamaki-senpai?"

His eyes snapped to her, frantically searching. He can't seem to stop shaking, not even when Haruhi comes over and takes him by the wrist. She didn't apply pressure or try to move him, she just stilled and waited. She had no idea what to say to him.

"Senpai?" She kept her voice soft and gentle, like she was comforting a child who'd just awoken from a nightmare. "Senpai, we have to move now."

He swallowed, his free hand wiping the sweat off his brow as he nodded robotically.

"Y-yes, let's go," he said, and detached himself from the wall and took uneasy steps closer to Haruhi and the others. "Let's go. Let's go now."

Haruhi clenched her fist. Tamaki walked past her, though he wouldn't get very far with her hand still on him. Haruhi walked after him, keeping a slow pace in time with his, not ready to let him go. No one said a word as the put more and more space between themselves and the crime scene. Mei's lips were invisible, a sure sign that she was holding back from speaking. Kasumi and Kohaku occasionally shot glances their way, but Tamaki and Haruhi said nothing. A rain cloud seemed to have formed over their heads, sucking away all happy atmosphere they'd enjoyed all day. Haruhi's hand moved down to Tamaki's, sliding over sweaty palms, then letting go.

'_I had no idea Senpai was so scared of guns,' _she thought to herself. _'Or… could it be something else?'_

* * *

><p>The trip to the library took a brief 30 seconds. Haruhi deposited her book in the drop box and walked away. She tugged lightly on Tamaki's sleeve and left the others to follow on their own.<p>

"Aren't you going to look inside?" Tamaki asked. His voice was becoming stronger, though his body still shook with lingering fear.

"I'm getting tired," Haruhi said, the lie rolling off her tongue easily. "I think I want to head home early tonight."

If Tamaki wanted to say more, he didn't. No one said a word as they crossed the street and headed for Kasumi's place first, which just so happened to be a little further down than Tamaki's house. They didn't know this until they passed a certain street, and Tamaki suddenly stopped and pointed.

"I live over there," he said.

Haruhi looked at the other girls, who nodded in unison. They wordlessly turned, with Tamaki now leading the way down the street passed various small houses lined up in a row. It wasn't a wealthy looking neighborhood, middle class at most. It was a far cry from what Tamaki must have been used to. He walked two steps ahead, his face no longer visible to Haruhi right behind him. All she could see was trimly cut black hair, but if she looked very close under the street lights, she thought she saw hints of a much lighter color at the roots.

"This next one is me," Tamaki said.

Haruhi nodded, though he couldn't see it. Saying something would have been better, if only Haruhi could find the right words.

They stopped at the front porch of a medium sized powder blue home, squished between two more homes of similar color. Unlike the houses around it, which had flower pots hanging up and children's toys scattered on the lawn, this house was completely bare. The mailbox was plain white and latched shut, the grass neatly cut and healthy. The only hints of someone living there were the lights on inside, illuminating them in the lessening sunlight.

"Do you want us to go in with you?" Mei asked.

Tamaki smiled gratefully at her and shook his head. "No, no. It's fine, I-"

**SLAM**

Everyone looked up. Tamaki, who'd been slowly calming back down since their near encounter with trouble, was horror-stricken anew, for a much different reason. Haruhi had never met the mysterious Katsuo-san before, aside from briefly seeing him through a tinted car window last week at the Karaoke bar. She'd imagined from Tamaki's exaggerated description of him (a man fifty feet tall with the face of a demon and the strength of twenty men) that he was a big and tall man not conventionally attractive. She was right on all counts.

Right now, though, with the way he was scowling at them with grit teeth and furious eyes, Haruhi could kind of understand the comparison to a demon.

"Tamaki-san," Katsuo-san ground out, tone sharp as a blade. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Haruhi's eyes flicked to her watch. It was 7:50. She thought back to earlier today, her stomach falling slowly. What time had Tamaki said he was supposed to be home by?

"Katsuo-san," Tamaki said, head bent and taking shaky steps away from them and towards his bodyguard. "I- I cannot tell you how sorry I am. We got a little carried away today and lost track of ti-"

"THAT'S NO EXCUSE, BOY!" Katsuo-san thundered. "I told you to be home by 7:30 sharp. That means 'no later, not even one second later.' How clear do I have to make this to you? Don't you realize all we're doing to keep you safe, only for you to go gallivanting around like a preening idiot? Next you're going to tell me you haven't really been at school all this time. Surely you're not _that _stupid!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Katsuo-san," Tamaki said this over and over again, bowing every single time and looking close to tears. "Please, I'm so sorry."

While this went on, Haruhi, Mei, Kasumi and Kohaku shared shocked and nervous looks, each seeming to dare each other to be the one to say something. Haruhi looked at Mei, who looked at Kasumi, who looked at Kohaku, who looked at Haruhi. The four of them turned to Tamaki and Katsuo-san. If they didn't stop this soon, they'd likely attract more attention from the neighbors, and Tamaki might start crying for real.

Haruhi felt her insides twist strangely, and unpleasantly. She stepped forward.

"Excuse me," she said. "Excuse me!"

Katsuo-san trailed off, both he and Tamaki turning their eyes on Haruhi. Unaffected, the girl stood tall and went on.

"Katsuo-san, I'm Haruhi Fujioka, a friend of Tamaki's from school," she gave a short bow of her own. "I'm really sorry Tamaki-senpai was late coming home, it's mostly our fault. We kept him pretty late."

She paused, leaving just enough time for the others to step forward, just as she'd hoped they would.

"Yeah, like Haruhi said, we didn't realize he was running on a schedule," said Kohaku.

"If we'd known, we definitely would have left sooner," said Kasumi.

"We get really caught up in our school work sometimes, and we just had so much today and Senpai has been tutoring us," sad Mei. "He's very smart."

She was laying it on a little thick, but at least Tamaki looked better. He was staring at the four of them, tears dried up and eyes alight with shock and awe.

As for Katsuo-san, he didn't appear outwardly fazed by their words. He still wore a heavy scowl, and he still looked ready to blast Tamaki to the moon and back. His foot tapped the ground with agitation, and finally his shoulders sunk and he shook his head.

"We'll talk about it more inside," he said, turning away. "Say goodbye to your friends, then get in here."

"Yes, sir," Tamaki whispered.

The door slammed, and Tamaki let out a ragged breath. Haruhi stepped closer to him. Where this strong protective urge was coming from, she hadn't a clue, but it had been there since the robbery and it was growing.

"Man, who got that guy's panties in a twist?" Mei crassly stated.

"He seemed pretty angry," said Kohaku.

"He's right…"

Tamaki looked at them, bringing them all to attention. With Haruhi beside him, he couldn't look them all in the eye, but he seemed aware of her presence, enough to pat her on the hand in thanks before sinking down on the step, face in hands.

No one spoke for a long time, they were all waiting for him to go on. It took time, but Tamaki didn't disappoint.

"I've never told you guys the real reason my family is in hiding, have I?"

Haruhi gasped softly, everything clicking into place. His fear of that gun and Katsuo-san's anger… of course, it must be tied into whatever problem the Suoh's were facing. It only made sense.

There was just one piece missing from the puzzle.

"My family runs a massive empire, I'm sure you know this," Tamaki said.

"You're one of the top ten richest families in the country."

Tamaki smiled at Kohaku. "We have amassed a great many enemies in that time. We thought we had them all in check, but we were wrong."

He paused to take a breath.

"About six months ago, my father got wind of someone within the company embezzling funds from our various charity projects. He launched an investigation with help from some business partners. One of them was a man named Yoshio Ootori, he runs the Ootori medical hospitals. Katsuo-san is employed on his family's private police force, generously loaned out to be my protector.

"My father kept the investigation a secret from the board of directors, because he suspected one of them to be the culprit. He was right. The embezzler turned out to be a senior member, Ran Kusakabe. That's where the problem lays."

"Wait a minute," Kohaku said. "Kusakabe? Like Rando Kusakabe, the newspaper mogul?"

Mei, Kasumi and Haruhi looked at Kohaku in confusion, but Tamaki just nodded.

"You know your stuff, that's good," he said. "Yes, Ran is his younger brother. They aren't the most wealthy family, but they have more social standing and connections than most families can dream of. My father had no concrete evidence to implicate Kusakabe. He only had his suspicions, confirmed during a private chat with the man that unfortunately had no other witnesses.

"While my father and grandmother searched for evidence, Kusakabe decided he wouldn't bother waiting. He's a cautious man, I suppose. Even with all his friends, he knows there's a good chance he would serve jail time if caught. So one day, about three months ago, just days after my arrival in Japan from France, I sat down to dinner with my Father and Grandmother. We were at home, just making small talk. The servant brought out our drinks and my Grandmother decided hers smelled funny. Father thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but asked a maid to take it back anyway. The maid didn't think anything was wrong either, and took a sip of the drink to prove it. The next thing any of us knew, she was on the ground and she wasn't breathing. She had died almost instantly. Father had mine and his drink checked, and they were also found to be poisoned, our food as well. Whoever Kusakabe paid off on our staff was very thorough.

"As it was, we had no idea which of our numerous staff members it could be. We were no longer safe in any of our homes, Grandmother trusted no one. We were left with two options. We could fire everyone, something Father wasn't willing to do. Most of our servants, he'd known for years, and he knew they'd have a hard time finding new jobs if they were let go so suddenly. Not only that, but such action would show Kusakabe our fear of him, and that's just what he wants. Our other option was to go into hiding, until the evidence could be found. Ootori-san is currently harboring my father and grandmother. Not even I know where they are. The most communication I get is a fifteen minute call every Friday afternoon. And while we're gone, Kusakabe has been getting his brother to publish articles slandering us, purely for his own amusement. Believe me, my family's finances are fine, aside from the embezzling. We'd be great if we could just bring Kusakabe to justice.

"Until then, I have to hide out here, because we know they are looking for us. As soon as Kusakabe knows where any of us are, he will send someone after us. He'll do whatever it takes to silence us so he can be safe from the law."

Tamaki breathed deeply, and his throat twinged from all the talking, and the whole difficult explanation he'd just had to give. If he were being honest with himself, it was kind of cathartic, letting it all out to these girls he'd come to know as friends. A dreadful hush had overcome them, worsening the further he got into the story. They were staring at him now with equal parts shock and fear. Haruhi was looking away, but he could see it on her face. She was no less effected by the truth than the others.

The silence went on, but Tamaki didn't try to end it. He didn't move, he merely waited. He knew he should go in now before Katsuo-san came back to yell at him, but he couldn't leave yet. His legs and his mind wouldn't let him.

Very slowly, Kasumi leaned toward Mei.

"And _you_ were going to expose him," she whispered loudly.

Mei shifted uncomfortably and looked at the pavement. Her face was ruby red.

"I didn't know… I wouldn't have if I'd known…"

Tamaki's legs started moving again, and he couldn't say it wasn't because of what had been said. He stood tall, taller than any of them, looking down sadly. Believe it or not, this was going to be even harder than telling his story.

"I think Katsuo-san makes a good point," he said. "He's never been happy about me joining a club, or even going to school in the first place. There is so much danger… I think it would be best if we didn't hang out much outside of the club. For your own safety."

He added that last part suddenly, like it was more for him than for them. He said it again inwardly as he turned around and left them all behind. He walked up the pathway, feeling their eyes on his back. They didn't try to call him back, or maybe they did and his mind simply blocked it out. He tried not to imagine them standing there, scared for him and wishing he had some tender words for them. Of them all, one pair of big, round, brown eyes stood out persistently. Tamaki knew he'd be seeing them in his mind's eye for the rest of the night and in his dreams. He stepped onto the porch, and it creaked under his feet depressingly. He walked into the house where Katsuo-san and Sekigawa-san and that little phone in the corner that only rang once a week would be waiting for him.

And he didn't look back once.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A thousand apologies for the wait. I can blame nothing and no one but myself.**

**So now we know why Tamaki is in hiding, and where Katsuo-san comes from. We're heading to the climax now. Just one more chapter, and then it all hits the fan.**

**Stay close. I swear on my life the next chapter will come out much, much sooner than this one did.**


	9. Music Club

**A/N: How did this chapter get so long...? O.O**

**I feel dizzy looking at it.**

**Five chapters left now after this. We're in the final stretch, as you can tell. See you next time!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>I never thought there could be a worse feeling than having my whole life taken from me.<strong>_

_**Boy, was I wrong.**_

* * *

><p>Tamaki's face was in his language notebook, staring down without really seeing the words scrawled in his own neat handwriting. Somewhere beside him, Sekigawa-san was droning on about the proper and improper usage of certain words and how many students she'd had accidentally offend someone because they'd pronounced their words the wrong way. She went in and out, so Tamaki couldn't be sure where they were in the lecture. He was usually happy to attend his language classes, excited even, but not today.<p>

Probably not tomorrow either, the way things were looking.

In fact, tomorrow would probably be even worse, because he'd have seen the girls by then, and he knew he'd have to face them no matter what. After what he'd revealed to them last night, there was no way they wouldn't want to talk. The thought of sad brown eyes crashed in again, and Tamaki shuddered. Haruhi was going to be the hardest of all to see.

Something about his body language, be it that shudder or just his general downtrodden demeanor, must have tipped Sekigawa-san off the something was wrong. Because Tamaki sure hadn't said anything about it, or anything else since he first sat down.

"Suoh-san, please pay attention," she said calmly. "Whatever's bothering you this time, it can wait until later."

Tamaki shook his head. "I only wish it could, Sekigawa-san."

She paused in her writing, glancing at him over her horn-rimmed glasses.

"More school issues, I presume?"

Tamaki shrugged half heartedly. It was really more like a twitch than anything else. There was no other way to respond to her. Telling her everything he'd told them was simply out of the question. Katsuo-san would know by the end of the night, and he'd have Tamaki's head.

"That's funny," Sekigawa-san said, breaking Tamaki from his thoughts. "Because I thought you were starting to enjoy school."

"I am," Tamaki said. "It's just… there is so much weighing down on me, I feel like it's about to collapse."

Sekigawa-san pursed her lips. "And it's eating away at you because you're afraid for the friends you've made. Afraid they'll reject you if they knew the truth or that socializing with you could put their lives at risk."

Tamaki's eyes widened. "That- that's exactly right, Sekigawa-san!"

"It's not that hard to figure out," she said, nodding. "You wear your heart on your sleeve, Tamaki-san. I know you are struggling and that makes it difficult for you to relax and be yourself."

"It really does," Tamaki said sadly.

"You probably feel like it's you against the world. You've lost everything you once knew, all the friends and family and luxury taken in an instant. And there's this powerful force out to get you that you feel you must take on alone. No one can help you fight."

"That's it!" Tamaki knew he was probably getting more excited about this than he should have, but in all the time he'd known her, Sekigawa-san had never said anything this insightful to him. He drew himself up, the chair squeaking against the newly moped floor as it was pushed back. He was grinning like a madman, a stark contrast to Sekigawa-san's blank face staring up at him. "What do I do, Sekigawa-san?"

The older woman looked at him, eyebrows knit together and lips disappearing from sight.

She shrugged. "I don't know."

Tamaki face faulted. It was like someone had literally dropped those words onto his head with the strength and force of a several bricks. He went completely white, and Sekigawa-san's reaction to his misery and woe extended to a glance in his direction and a hand waved at his abandoned seat.

"Now, sit back down, Tamaki-san. It's time for another pop quiz, this time on proper dining etiquette."

"…yes, Sekigawa-san…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>So very, very, very, very, very wrong.<strong>_

* * *

><p>Study Hall found Tamaki back in the library, his head literally in a book. He dug his forehead into the pages, wrinkling them and making his head ache. Several times, the trousers and skirts of various students entered his line of sight. They slowed as they passed, obviously stopping to stare at him. Some people whispered to each other, but no one said a word to him.<p>

He figured they were worried, because really, who wouldn't be? Perhaps they just knew instinctually that he didn't want to be bothered. A few times, someone made like they were going to approach him, but they always backed away at the last minute. Tamaki didn't mind, though he wasn't all that happy about it either.

He didn't feel much of anything at the moment, except a cold, unending emptiness seeping through a hole in his heart. He was starting to feel strangely exposed here, amid other tables and books where people just kept on walking around like it was nothing. There was a small corner in the back of the room that was deserted. Maybe he'd go and sit there for a while.

Tamaki might really have done it too, were in not for another dark blue skirt appearing directly over him and stopping, the owner's hands on her hips.

"Senpai, can we talk?"

Tamaki's heart stopped. Of course he knew that voice right away. He'd been hearing it all night as he slept, crying and begging for help and screaming accusations at him that he was the cause of her pain because he was the one to put her in danger.

That was the Haruhi of his nightmares, but the real one standing over him didn't sound angry or terrified at all. She sounded more like she was asking him for the time. In other words, completely normal.

He must have been silent too long for her liking, because the next thing Tamaki heard was the chair opposite him being pulled out and then pushed back in by a pair of shoes on the carpet. Haruhi's bow and long brown hair was hanging before his eyes now, immobile no matter how long he stared at it. She sat there quietly, observing him. Tamaki lifted his eyes as high as his unmoving head would allow, and could just see the bottom of her frowning face.

"Shouldn't you be at class?" he asked, completely sincere and not snippy.

"It's my study period," she answered. "Fifth period is over. Didn't you hear the bell ring ten minutes ago?"

"No, I must have missed it…"

Tamaki trailed off, and continued laying there for a few seconds, under Haruhi's watchful eyes, until it sunk in.

"I MISSED IT!" He shot up and hastily grabbed his books. Shoving them back into his bag, he was too frantic to see that he was making it worse for himself by taking even more time to get ready and leave. "Oh, I can't believe this. I'm so sorry, Haruhi, I have to go!"

By now, he'd successfully packed his bag, though not well enough that he could close it. With the lid unclasped and flapping about, Tamaki raced for the door, getting halfway there when Haruhi's voice stopped him dead.

"Hey, is it okay if I walk with you?" she asked.

Tamaki froze, somehow getting his neck to twist around far enough to face her again. She was on her feet, her bag still in her grasp, having never been unpacked or put down. She wasn't near her chair anymore, but she wouldn't move any closer either. She was waiting for him to say yes.

That's what Tamaki told himself anyway.

Because she should know he could never have refused her.

When they got into the hall, everything was silent. The crowded sea of bodies and noise that he'd gotten used was gone, giving the place an eerie feel. Tamaki was immediately grateful that Haruhi had offered to come with him. Had he been alone, this quiet and solitude would have chilled him to the core. It didn't matter that he could easily see his schoolmates in their classrooms through the small windows on all the doors.

He looked down at a piece of paper stuck to his shoe, walked three more steps before pausing to remove it and toss it in a nearby garbage can. He then examined that for a few seconds. It was gray and worn from repeated washings, and had faded writing on one side with kanji Tamaki hadn't learned yet, though something told him the meaning wasn't something very polite.

He found other things to look at as they continued their trek, all so that he wouldn't have to meet Haruhi's eyes and have the conversation he'd been dreading since yesterday evening. To her credit, Haruhi hadn't tried to start one yet, but he knew that would be changing soon. She hadn't asked to follow him for nothing.

"If it's okay with you," she said. "I wanted to talk about what happened yesterday."

Though he knew it was coming, Tamaki stumbled over his words.

"What? Oh…" he gulped and stood a little straighter. "I- if you want to, sure."

He thought he saw her nod, but the movement was so quick and so tiny, he may have been mistaken. They passed a closed off room with loud sounds coming from the inside. The class must have been watching a film of some sort. Haruhi waited until they were sufficiently far from the noise to go on.

"I was thinking a lot about it last night."

"Oh?" Tamaki asked, stiffly.

"We all were," a ghost of a smile appeared on Haruhi's face. "Mei even called me to ask how she should apologize for almost exposing you so many times. I told her to just say she was sorry, but she's not really good at that sort of thing."

"She doesn't have to apologize," Tamaki answered, shaking his head. "I'm not angry."

"Well, she'll be happy to hear that…"

The conversation came to a halt there. Tamaki wondered if they were still on the way to his class, or if they'd just been walking down the same two halls in a big circle all this time. There was nothing on the walls that could distinguish one from another, and no numbered lockers for him to count either. That he might actually reach his class any minute now was even worse.

"Is there more?" He asked finally.

Haruhi, who must have been lost in thought, started slightly and looked at him. She had that adorably confused look in her eye again. Tamaki's chest was starting to hurt.

"What?"

He gulped.

"Is there more that you wanted to say?"

Haruhi slowed a bit. Before now, she'd been walking in time with Tamaki, a considerable feat for her much shorter statue. Now she was a full step behind him. Tamaki slowed down as well to accommodate her. She appeared to be carefully considering her response and Tamaki didn't know if that should be taken as a good or bad sign. He only knew was his rampant paranoia told him and that was never helpful.

They were nearing the auditorium when she spoke up. Tamaki noted with a stab of disappointment that this was the halfway mark between the library and homeroom.

"Just that I hope all of this doesn't convince you to leave, I- we wouldn't want that."

Tamaki stared at her incredulously. "What? But aren't you afraid? If you're friends with me, you might get targeted!"

"I know…" Haruhi paused again to think. "Well, I guess I really _don't _know, not like you do. These last few months must have been awful for you."

"Heheh, like you wouldn't believe," Tamaki said, eyes going downward. His laugh had been hollow, depressing even. He didn't know if Haruhi felt it, or if it was just him. "There are times when I'm afraid to even walk out the front door. If I go anywhere, someone with a gun will pop out and that'll be it."

"I think you'd be less likely to be shot in a public place, though."

She mumbled something more about statistics, but whatever it was gradually faded away as his sadness was likely showing on his face more than ever before. Sensing her faux pas, Haruhi coughed and averted her eyes briefly.

"What I mean is that this that I'm not going to just abandon you. Neither is anyone else." Her eyes met his again. There was not a trace of fear to be found. "If you don't want to meet us after school anymore, that's fine, but you're our friend and that's not going to change."

Tamaki felt a warmth overcome him. It focused mainly in his cheeks and he prayed to the lord above that Haruhi would misread it as bashfulness and not a reaction to the wide smile she now wore.

"You just called me friend." he said quietly.

"I know."

"You… you consider us friends."

Haruhi laughed a little, the kind of laugh one gave when someone stated the obvious. "Of course I do. I'm your friend, and so is Mei, and Kasumi, and Kohaku. Believe me, they would never have treated you to yesterday if they didn't like you at least on some level."

"Oh…" Tamaki didn't really know what to say to that part.

Haruhi sighed softly. It was an innocuous act, but it somehow got Tamaki listened more closely, if that were possible. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to go in deeper.

"And… I know I've never been the most open to all your suggestions and changes, but I do think you've done a lot of good, Senpai. Not just for us."

They had stopped long ago, but Tamaki didn't care. There was a door in front of them, and if it was his, it could wait. Right now, he had to fight off the increasingly powerful urge to throw is arms around Haruhi and never let her go. He allowed himself only a warm look and a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was a gesture purely born of friendship, he told himself.

"Haruhi, I can't thank you enough for this," he said almost reverently. "You are amazing at giving pep talks. That's why you're going to make a great lawyer someday."

Haruhi made her ridiculously cute bewildered face again, and it was all Tamaki could do not to melt into a pile of Tamaki-goo.

"I just said what I've been thinking all day," she said, shrugging. "It's not really profound or anything."

'_It is for me.'_

"Believe me, Haruhi, you've said it all," Tamaki said fondly. Though he didn't look away from her, a familiar figure walked by the window inside the classroom next to them. It caught his attention regardless. "And this would be my classroom."

Haruhi eyed the door, then nodded. "Right."

She made like she was going to turn, but Tamaki couldn't let her leave yet. Though he did fear the wrath of his teacher more the longer his lingered outside- she turn her head a fraction of an inch and see them at any time- this was far more important to him right now.

"Haruhi?" She stopped moving. "Thanks. I'll see you after school, okay?"

Her face brightened. He knew she'd never admit how happy that made her.

"See you then."

Tamaki waited for her to disappear around the corner to walk inside. Her long hair swished about in a way that hypnotized him. He realized she was becoming more beautiful to his eyes than she already was.

When he walked inside, the first thing he received was a rolled up piece of paper on the head, an angry berating from his teacher for being so late, and extra homework, before ordering him to his seat amid the soft snickers of his less-than-sympathetic classmates.

The entire way, his head was held high.

It was worth it.

* * *

><p>Tamaki was the first one out when the final bell rang. For once, it was out of eagerness to start the rest of the day and not fear of someone staring holes in his back following him around to make threats. Kurosawa was right behind him, but he was hand in hand with Oshiro and far from angry.<p>

"Have a good day, Okada-kun," Oshiro said, waving him off. "See you tomorrow."

Kurosawa grumbled something similar, but Tamaki couldn't make out the exact words. He waved back anyway.

"You two have fun!"

They both blushed, and that was the last Tamaki saw before he turned around and walked in the opposite direction. The time on the clock read fifteen minutes before rehearsal would start, so he could take his time. Opening night was this Friday, and everyone was becoming tense. Ichirou didn't help matters, he'd taken to pacing during the two leads' practice and jumping into the air when anyone so much as tapped him on the shoulder. Tamaki and, surprisingly, Kohaku, had been doing what they could to calm him down. Kohaku's method of grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him probably did more harm than good, but Tamaki was honestly a little scared to let Kohaku know. She could be very abrasive when she wanted to be, which was often.

Today, he'd finally talk to her about it. There was nothing she could do to bring him down right now. She could turn into a dragon and breath fire and Tamaki would face her without fear. Then, together, they would find a more peaceful way to calm Ichirou's nerves.

Tamaki was walking by a series of large, freshly cleaned windows, the sun streaming in and warming his skin, when Ichirou himself appeared right on the other side. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and brow furrowed, staring up at a much taller boy whose head was down as if in shame. Though his face was hard to see, Tamaki knew immediately who it was. He darted behind the wall, poking his head out to see as best he could. From this angle, the back of Ichirou's head was visible, and he could see Sato's eyes trained on the browning grass.

"So what's this all about?" Ichirou's voice carried through the cracked open top window. Tamaki stood a little higher to hear better. "Is this some kind of joke or what?"

Sato shuffled his feet. "It's like I said. I- I really like you and I… I was hoping maybe you might- you and I, I mean, I'm-"

"You're bad at this," Ichirou said matter-of-factly. "That's what you are."

"Don't rub it in."

Sato shied back a step. Tamaki felt a twinge of fear that he might run away. He leaned more toward them, so his head was almost completely in view. Sato needed only to turn his head one inch in the wrong direction, and he'd see Tamaki plain as day. This registered in the more reasonable part of Tamaki's mind, but he couldn't bring himself to move or to look away from Ichirou's head of light brown hair that was in need of brushing. Was he ignoring basic hygiene for the play now too?

"But see, you can't expect me to accept this like nothing after you and your friends mocked and insulted my theater," Ichirou said, eyeing Sato harshly. "It's tantamount to insulting me."

"I apologized for that!" Sato sounded like he'd given that apology a hundred times. "I wasn't even joining in."

"But you didn't stop them either."

"I told them afterwards not to bother with you guys anymore…" Sato paused for a beat. His cheeks were turning red at an alarming rate. "Look, I'm not good at saying sorry, but I am. Sorry. I am sorry, I mean. I don't know what else I can say except that I think you are really smart and interesting and… I just really like you a lot, and I promise I won't ever let them insult you again, and if you could give me a chance…"

He mumbled something, and Tamaki couldn't make it out, nor did he knew if Ichirou could. Ichirou hadn't let up in his hard staring. He studied every inch of Sato's posture, every tone of his voice, like he was a bug under a microscope. The air around them was starting to suffocate. Tamaki struggled with the urge to get away before Ichirou made something explode with his eyes. Pressing his feet firmly into the ground, he rolled over to lean on his back, head pressed on the brick wall and ears peaked. He couldn't see them now, but someone was walking now. The footsteps didn't fade, so Tamaki guessed they were pacing.

"Okay," Ichirou's voice said. "I'm not going to lie, this is throwing me for a loop. Because I really though you were lying before, but after _that_… if there's one thing I know, it's how to tell a lie from truth, and if there's one thing I like, it's sincerity."

The pacing stopped.

"So no promises, but how about you and I have lunch in theater room tomorrow, just us. We'll talk more about it there. That work for you?"

There was a pause before Sato fumbled a response that could only be described as affirmative. Ichirou stifled a laugh, the first real one Tamaki had heard from him in days. It gave him a warm feeling inside, like a sign of good fortune.

Deciding it was time to give them privacy, Tamaki continued his walk like he'd never stopped. He didn't look Sato and Ichirou's way, and heard nothing addressed to him. Their voices faded away when he turned the corner and went on his way.

* * *

><p>Tamaki pushed the doors open. For once, they were unlocked and he didn't have to run all the way around to the stage door to get in. All this meant was that Ichirou still hadn't arrived, and surely that was a good thing right now.<p>

"Hey, there you are, Okada," one of the male actors shouted out to him.

"Good to see you," Tamaki answered.

He looked up at Mei and Kasumi. Both girls were over by the curtains, practicing pulling up the scenery tarps. On the other side was Motou, handling the ropes Mei and Kasumi had to work together on with no problem. It appeared the only issue was a lack of restraint on his part. Whenever the girls went to pull, he'd heave the rope up as hard as he could, and the background came up grossly lopsided until the girls scrambled to make it even. After the fourth time, Mei threw down the rope and stalked to him, her face red with rage.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Her screeching rang around the room and made everyone pause. Several people stopped to look at her, others with less interest went right back to work. Motou let go of the rope, letting the tarp fall into a heap. Kasumi inched away from it, and by extension Mei, heading instead to help Kohaku place tape on the ground to mark everyone's position. Tamaki walked up the rows of empty seats and towards the stage a little slower. He could have just stood in the back and heard Mei's voice anyway. Ichirou would just love her ability to project.

"I asked you a question," she said as she came to stand in front of the silent and barely affected Motou. "Are you listening?"

Motou stuck a finger in his ear. "Maybe if you didn't yell so much and make my ears hurt, I would."

"Stop screwing around! You're lucky we ever let you help out."

"That was Ichirou's call, not yours. You don't like me, why don't you leave?"

"Knock it off, you two," Konimi yelled as she walked by with a script in hand.

Motou immediately stopped glaring and Mei and grinned stupidly at Konimi, who wasn't even looking.

"Sorry about that, Konimi-san! Didn't mean to bother you, I'd never do that!"

She walked out stage left without a word, while Motou groaned and muttered angry words at himself. Mei smirked knowingly.

"You're never going to win her over like this," she said. "Next time, why not get her attention before you talk to her?"

She snickered when Motou could give no response, and stalked off in the opposite direction, still berating himself in loud whispers. Words stuck out, but had no meaning to Tamaki, and ended with a door slamming. Shaking his head, Tamaki climbed the side steps to meet the girls at the top. They all stopped what they were doing and surrounded him, all smiles.

"Hey, there you are, Fearlesss Leader," said Mei. "We were thinking you wouldn't show."

"I didn't think I was that late," Tamaki said, smiling.

"You're not, don't listen to her," Kasumi said.

"You're more timely than Ichirou, at any rate," Kohaku said with a huff and her hands on her hips. "Where the heck is that Prima Donna anyway? Isn't this play his lifeblood or something? You'd think he'd be the first one here."

"I saw him on my way over," Tamaki said, smiling knowingly. "He was in the middle of a serious discussion with someone, but I think he'll be here soon."

Kohaku studied him intently. "Why do I feel like there's more you aren't telling us?"

Tamaki chuckled lightly and patted the much shorter Kohaku on the head. He ruffled her hair and earned a growl of anger as she swatted him away.

"Ever the perceptive one, Kohaku," he said. "That's why you'll do well in politics. You have my vote."

He was in earnest, his comment not at nearly as patronizing as it was taken. If Kohaku expected to be backed up in her rage, she would be disappointed. Mei brushed by her, paying about as much attention to her grumbling as she had to Mutou's. She stood before Tamaki, arms crossed as she sized him up.

"You seem happy today," she said. "After what happened yesterday, I thought you'd be all doom and gloom."

"I was…" Tamaki said softly, but a little too loud still because Mei's face betrayed that she'd heard. "What I mean is, I know now that you guys would never abandon me. Forgive me if I come on too strong, but you all are the best friends I've ever had."

He would have wrapped them all in a hug if he could have. Or maybe he wouldn't, since Haruhi wasn't there and there would be a huge chunk of their circle missing without her. He fought not to laugh at their nonplussed expressions. It would be so rude of him, but they all just looked so adorable this way.

"Well, we did kind of force you into our club," Mei said while rubbing the back of her neck. "I uh… Glad there's no hard feelings."

"Never," Tamaki said empathically. "Being in this club is the best thing that's happened to me since I lost my old life. It may be the best thing to ever happen to me at all!"

"Okay, now you're exaggerating," said Kasumi.

"Enough lovey talk, it's nauseating!" Kohaku shouted, waving her hands as she walked away from the group. "We've got scenery to set up, right? Come over here and help me, Pres! Mei and Kasumi can take the other rope.

Tamaki shared a sideways glance with both remaining girls, the edges of his mouth turning upwards just a little. He shoved his hands into his pockets and started after her.

"Coming, Kohaku."

He quickly discovered that Mutou was at least a thousand times stronger than him. Where the larger boy had had no trouble pulling up the enormously heavy tarp, it took everything both himself and Kohaku had to lift their end, and Mei and Kasumi didn't seem to be fairing much better. Tamaki could at least comfort himself with the fact that his side always made it higher than theirs.

"Come on, everyone! Teamwork is key!" He yelled over on the fourth try.

"More like time on the free weights," Kasumi snidely yelled back.

"I hate those things," Mei said with an ill look. "They're always too heavy and last time, I almost dropped one on my foot."

"Did you start with the five pound ones or just skip ahead to the twenty pounders?" Kohaku piped up. "Because I know you, Mei, and you aren't the most patient person around."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Ladies, please!" Tamaki shouted over them. "We can make arrangements for a group visit to the gym later! Let's get this thing up!"

The door slammed open then, and in ran a haggard and out of breath Ichirou. He loose pages from his battered copy of the script flew every which way as he carelessly ran with it in his arms. A few students working on the lights stopped what they were doing to go and hunt for the missing pages. Ichirou darted to the stage, climbing the stair case two at a time, which was really just one big leap from the bottom to the top.

"Woah, slow down before you hurt yourself," Kohaku said.

Ichirou stopped in the middle of the stage, bending over to catch his breath. He gasped and choked again and again. Tamaki might have been concerned if Ichirou hadn't already done something like this many times in the past week. He'd give it ten more seconds and if Ichirou wasn't better by then, he'd call for the nurse. 9... 8... 7...

"I'm good!"

Ichirou shot right up, trembling arms in the air and a big smile on his face.

"I'm fine… I'm good… calm and collected… no pressure… remember to breathe… next session Thursday night… move it to Friday… call Doctor in the morning… how's the scenery going?"

He snapped his head to Tamaki and Kohaku unexpectedly at the last part. Both of them needed a moment to process his sudden addressing them, and it was Kohaku who recovered first.

"We're good, it's just really heavy. An extra pair of hands would be fantastic."

She looked expectantly at Ichirou, like she was waiting for him to either find someone to help or volunteer himself like any good person would. Ichirou did take time to eye the heap of painted tarp and cringe with sympathy for them.

"Well, I'm sure you guys'll get it right," he said, flashing a thumbs up.

Kohaku ground her teeth, a horrible and truly incensed growl emitting from her throat. Sensing danger, Tamaki took gentle hold of her by the shoulders and rubbed them in a soothing manner.

"Relax, we'll figure this out," he said.

She growled again and jerked away. Tamaki couldn't hide how hurt that made him feel, but his sad, tear-filled face didn't phase her.

"I don't like being touched, remember?"

"Sorry…"

"There you are! What kept you?"

Tamaki looked up, all feelings of hurt forgotten when Haruhi came into view. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail for once. Not a single strand was at risk of getting in her eyes. It was practical, but a strange look for her. Tamaki much preferred her beautiful long hair down and uncontained. Looking at her now with it completely out of view, she had an almost boyish look to her. It never occurred to Tamaki until now that Haruhi actually had pretty androgynous facial features. She could easily pass for a young boy if she wanted to.

Why she'd ever want to, though, was beyond him.

"Hey, Pres, are you still paying attention?"

"Huh?" Tamaki shook himself back to reality.

Haruhi was chatting with Mei about something, but now that nobody was screaming, he could no longer hear. Whatever it was, Haruhi must have been in agreement because she nodded her head and Mei hugged her, looking relieved. Once Haruhi had nicely, yet forcefully, disentangled herself from Mei's arms, she reached down for the loose end of the rope.

"Okay guys, I think all five of us can do it," Mei said.

She held the rope in both hands, determined like one about to enter battle. Kasumi and Haruhi were in line behind her, ready and waiting for the other side. Tamaki grabbed the rope again. Kohaku, though likely as discouraged and annoyed as ever, followed suit.

"Alright, guys, one more try!" Tamaki said. He squeezed the rope tighter. "One, two, three!"

Tamaki pulled with all his strength. Kohaku grunted in pain, but their efforts were paying off. The tarp jerked around a bit, then slowly started to ascend. It rose higher and higher and the painted trees and mountains became visible. The addition of one more person was just what they needed, and pretty soon the scenery was up and only the very bottom end touched the floor. On each side, Kohaku and Kasumi quickly tied it down to the floor. When they were done, everyone else let go. Mei flopped down on the ground, practically gulping down mouthfuls of air. Kasumi above her was unimpressed.

"You didn't do that much work, suck it up."

Ichirou walked back in from the opposite door. He still held his script, but now it was opened to a random page and he was writing furiously in the margins. He stopped when he noticed the change in background.

"Hey, great work, you guys!" he said. "You're even better than the first crew."

He laughed, and Kohaku answered with a mocking one of her own. Tamaki didn't try to touch her this time, but did give her a disapproving look that she didn't acknowledge. Ichirou had already moved on to complimenting Kasumi on her knot-tying anyway. She was a little less than modest about the praise.

"It's nothing, really, I just go camping a lot. I guarantee that knot until the show closes."

"Wonderful!" Ichirou clapped his hands together and then pulled out a megaphone. Tamaki furrowed his brow in surprise. Where did he get that? "Alright, listen up everyone! We're going to start dress rehearsal in exactly 32 minutes. First, we're going to run through the second to last scene one more time, where our hero stands over our dreadfully sick heroine's bedside, determined not to leave her until she's well again! As you know, this occurs right as our heroine's mother finally decides to throw out her abusive, freeloading brother in an argument that takes place off stage. Our leads are currently rehearsing alone in the band room, so I want Matsumoto and Ogano to take their places off stage. Matsumoto, you missed your cue last time, watch it! Okada and… Fujioka, you two go fill in for the leads."

Tamaki stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been carrying a few discarded boxes away to clear the stage, while Haruhi was doing the same on the other side of the stage. He thought he heard the thump of cardboard hitting the floor, and first thought it was her until he realized his hands were now empty.

"Huh?" Haruhi said, her voice ringing in Tamaki's ears. "You want us to act?"

"No, no, you're just substituting until Tanaka and Hara come back," Ichirou said. "You don't have to do anything but lay there, and all Okada has to do is sit next to you and maybe sing a lullaby or something. It's supposed to be romantic."

"Go on, Haruhi," Mei said, sounding oddly enthusiastic about Haruhi being a simple stand in.

Tamaki couldn't take his growing nerves anymore and forced himself around and facing everyone, including Haruhi. Thankfully, she was looking not at him, but at Mei over her shoulder. Mei was pushing her towards the painted wooden box with a floral print comforter and pillow thrown over it to make a bed. Haruhi didn't try to resist, but she wasn't exactly thrilled either by the look on her face.

"Does it really matter if the leads are here or not?" Tamaki asked quickly. "I mean, you're just focusing on what's happening off stage right now."

"Yeah, but the stage looks uneven otherwise," Ichirou said. He flippantly motioned for Tamaki to move towards Haruhi, who was now sitting on the 'bed' and waiting for him. "I just want you to stand there for about five minutes, okay? Nothing more."

Tamaki remained fidgety despite these reassurances. Something about pretending to be the lead while Haruhi played as the girl the lead was in love with sent his cool flying right out the window. Haruhi pulled herself onto the wooden block, shifting around a few times to find a comfortable position. She laid her head down on the pillow, over the sheets. With her hands cupped and resting on her stomach and her eyes closed, she looked so peaceful. Her features were like porcelain in this lighting, flawless and beautiful. Tamaki stood over her, mouth dry and hands shaking. He gulped.

'_What am I even nervous about? I'm just going to sit next to her for a couple of minutes while she pretends to be asleep, it's not like this is something obscene like laying down with her. That would be… that's something I shouldn't think about. Just stay calm, this is nothing at all and it'll be over before you know it.'_

Tamaki breathed slowly in and out through his nose, a technique for relaxation one of the maids at the second Suoh mansion had taught him before he left. He eased himself to the floor and sat with his legs pulled to his body. It was only slightly less comfortable than the desk chairs in class, though he was slowly getting used to those. Haruhi had her eyes open again, and she was staring at the dim lights overhead, deep in thought. Tamaki tried not to watch her for too long. He was getting that funny feeling again, like it would kill him not to hug her right now, when she looked so sweet and adorable lying there and thinking about the world and her future. Maybe he should look at something else until this was over to distract.

Ichirou came to stand over him, studied them with an analytical eye before nodding his approval.

"Okay good," he said. "Now, Okada, until we're done, just don't move too much and make sure to stare ceaselessly into Fujioka's eyes as if you are passionately in love with her."

Something resembling a scream almost came out of Tamaki's mouth, but his sealed lips assured that only he'd been able to hear it right. Haruhi turned her head a little to look at Ichirou, then straight at Tamaki. His heart began beating faster.

"I- is that really necessary, Ichirou-kun?" Tamaki weakly objected.

Ichirou gave him an ugly look, then grabbed him by the sides of his head and shoved him so close to Haruhi that their foreheads and noses were touching.

"I _said_ 'stare into her eyes as if you are passionately in love with her!' NOW!"

Tamaki almost cried tears of fear, but that would not be good at all with Haruhi so close. He might get her face wet, and he'd be completely humiliated. Ichirou let go of his head and stalked away. Tamaki pulled away from Haruhi, far enough that they weren't breathing on each other anymore, but maintaining enough closeness that hopefully Ichirou would be satisfied. That he said nothing else directed at them was a good sign, and when he commanded Matsumoto and Ogano to start from behind the curtains, Tamaki was almost relieved. He still had to sit a mere ten or so inches away from Haruhi, though. He thought his chest might burst any moment.

"This is… pretty fun, huh?" He didn't know what he was trying to make conversation for.

"Try not to talk so loud," Haruhi whispered back with a soft smile. "And I was kind of hoping to just put all the garbage in order so it'll be easier to take out later."

Tamaki gave the tiniest nod he could so no one else would notice. "Yeah, but I'm sure the others can handle it."

Haruhi turned her head back to the ceiling. Tamaki suspected that was the best position for her on this stiff board. She still kept her eyes on him as much as she could.

"I thought I heard Ichirou mention that the male lead sings a lullaby to the female lead," she said playfully. "I wouldn't mind if you went with that. You're a really good singer, Senpai."

Tamaki blinked in surprise. "What makes you say that? You've never heard me."

"Yes I did," she answered. "I heard you that day we went for karaoke."

"But you walked out before I went on."

"I walked out while you were on. I still heard you start, and I thought you sounded good… I am sorry about that by the way."

"Don't worry about it," Tamaki said. He was welling up with joy like never before. He didn't even understand why her words made him so happy, but now he wanted nothing more than to carry Haruhi off to a secret location and perform a full show just for her, with vocals and piano, and leave her blown away. "I'm afraid I don't know many lullabies."

Haruhi tilted her head to one side. "That's nothing. I'm sure you'd put me right to sleep no matter what song you choose."

Tamaki chuckled bashfully for a moment, and then he thought about what she'd said again and a feeling of dread came over him.

Had she meant that his voice was so lovely and relaxing that it would gently lull her to sleep?

Or what if she was saying that he was boring? So much so that having to listen to him for even a few minutes would have her out for days?

Should he ask her to elaborate, or would the mere sound of his voice be so tedious to her that she'd just lose consciousness right there the moment he started talking?

As terrifying images of Haruhi sleeping forever because of him filled his mind, Tamaki looked away to Mei, who stood off to the side, flanked by a not nearly as interested Kohaku and Kasumi. She smiled at him when he sent her a pleading look, not a warm smile either. It was the kind one wore when taking revenge on someone who had horribly wronged them. There was not a drop of warmth to be found in that look.

Mei raised a single, manicured finger and twirled it around in the air, stopping abruptly in Haruhi's direction. Tamaki got the message loud and clear. He feared for a moment that Haruhi really had gone to sleep in the interim or was otherwise too bored to want to talk to him anymore. He found her twiddling her thumbs and staring at the ceiling some more. When she looked at him again, she smiled, a real smile that wasn't at all bored or annoyed. Tamaki couldn't not give one back.

Maybe he'd been over-thinking things just a little bit.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I can't say I'm not still nervous. I can't say that at all.<strong>_

_**But for the first time since this awful mess began, I have a really good feeling about the future.**_

* * *

><p>Thursday evening. He'd been sitting in this hotel room of his, bored with nothing to do, since waking up in the morning. He had ordered scrambled eggs with sausage and a glass of milk for breakfast, and decided immediately after it arrived that he wasn't hungry after all. It sat untouched on the coffee table and there was a fly buzzing around it. He ate a ham sandwich for lunch and that was all he needed.<p>

His favorite knife, newly sharpened, ran along the wallpaper. It was bright orange with abstract shapes and he absolutely hated it. There was now a long line running from the TV to his chair. He'd been working on it for hours. It was a pitiful attempt at entertaining himself and he was no less bored now than when the day began, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Sometimes, he pictured the wallpaper was actually Tamaki Suoh, and the knife was running across his throat rather than paper. It helped a little. As it was, he did have his photo of the boy tacked up on the opposite wall, but he wouldn't dare deface that yet. The wall would have to do for now. He almost wished they would bleed, and turn this ugly wallpaper dark red. It was a much more pleasing color to him.

The phone rang. He answered it after three rings.

"Have anything?" He didn't bother with formalities when he knew exactly who would be on the other end. He listened to non-stop talking for at least five minutes, but for once, it was okay. His boredom and general apathy vanished little by little with every word spoken. By the time his associate was finished speaking, his mouth had curled into a devilish smile that reached well passed his ears.

This was good.

"So you finally got it," he said, only a little condescending for once. He grabbed a hotel brand pen and paper from the desk. "Tell me the name again. Okada… how very plain. Genkaku Junior High… I see… and that goes on tomorrow…? And he'll definitely be there…?"

His eyes lit up like a fire had been set behind them.

"Excellent. Alright, let them know our progress. Tell Kusakabe we'll have Tamaki Suoh by tomorrow. Tell him there's no risk of failure. I'll deliver the boy's head on a silver platter if he wants it."

He hung up the phone without another word, his associates would know where to go from there. What to arrange and how many men to send over. He'd need about five to cover all the bases. There was no room for failure, after all.

He rubbed a finger against the handle of his knife before sending it flying at the photograph. The blade embedded itself halfway into Tamaki Suoh's forehead.

* * *

><p>"Katsuo-san, I'm sorry. I- I don't think I can do this."<p>

"This isn't the time for a breakdown, Tamaki-san. You need to man up."

"But I can't, Katsuo-san! Don't you understand? What you're teaching me… there's no way I could ever do this."

"This is to protect you, Tamaki-san. Your life is at risk."

"I know… but to actually shoot someone… to intentionally- even if they are trying to kill me. I don't think I'm strong enough."

"…"

"…"

"…Tamaki-san? Please stop crying."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be difficult I just… Katsuo-san, what are you doing?"

"Listen to me now, don't speak. I understand that you're afraid. You and I aren't as different as you think. I may be able to shoot a gun now, but I couldn't always. I was like you in my training days. I was afraid- deathly afraid to carry a gun around and have to shoot down a criminal. My trainer used to tell me that it was my job and my responsibility, and then one day he took me aside and had a talk with me. I'm going to tell you now what he told me then, because it helped me more than anything else."

"I'm listening."

"He told me to take look at my gun. Really look at it… do it."

"Oh, right…"

"Good. He told me to look at it from every angle, top, bottom, left side, right side, the safety lock, the barrel, the trigger. And once I did that, he told me to aim like I was about to shoot, and ask myself why."

"…"

"…"

"…why what?"

"You tell me. Why would you pull that trigger? What would be your reason? Because you're not a killer, Tamaki-san. You are not the one to murder in cold blood. When you fire that gun, it's not going to be for any reason other than protection; for yourself or someone else. I had to protect civilians from criminals back in my day, and sometimes that did involve whipping out one of these. If we're lucky, you will never have to be in that position, but if you ever are, you will be ready. And I want you to ask yourself: who are you trying to protect?"

"…I'm still scared."

"I know."

"But… I think maybe we could try one more time?"

"That would be good. Your aim is still way off."

"…"

"…"

"…On my signal, now."

"Yes, sir."

"Ready… aim…"


	10. Drama Club

The sun had long since set over the brilliant forest, but the man in the cabin still watched out the window. Earlier on, there had been a few rabbits and birds around, but now they appeared to have turned in for the night, like he should do pretty soon. Sleep hadn't come easy to him these past few months. His mother went out like a light the second her head hit the pillow. She just didn't have the endless fears he did. She may have been old, but she was too confident much to succumb to paranoia the way he did. Maybe if she'd allow even an ounce of love for her grandson in, things would be different. As it was, Yuzuru Suoh had more pressing matters to attend to.

He had read every book in their quaint little hideout and there was nothing on TV. Their 'cabin' was really more like a large house, but only to the common folk. It was downright cramped compared to what Yuzuru was used to. Sometimes, he'd pace around his bedroom staring at the phone, hoping for a call from one of his trusted sources. It rarely ever rang, and when it did, it was just a status update that nothing had been found yet. Yuzuru felt more and more like punching something each day he was trapped here. While that bastard Kusakabe got to spread countless lies about him and his family, he was trapped in this dull countryside while his only son was off who-knows-where. He couldn't imagine how horrible this must have been for Tamaki.

He was always a happy boy. Carefree, naïve, childish… this wasn't something he should have to face. The world was a cruel place, and Tamaki was like a beacon in the dark, leading you to a happier place. After four months of this, Yuzuru couldn't help but fear that light going out. At least he'd seemed happier when they spoke this morning, but there wasn't much that could be said over the phone. Tamaki mostly talked about the friend he'd made, without giving any names just in case. He spoke of them fondly, particularly the one he'd dubbed 'Cute Brunette' for her brown hair and eyes and general adorableness. That was how Tamaki described her anyway. Yuzuru had put his worries away for the time, telling his son how happy he was that he was making friends and that he hoped he could meet them someday. Just to lighten the mood a little more, and because flustering Tamaki was never not fun for him, he'd casually asked near the end of the call when he could start referring to Cute Brunette as Cute Brunette Daughter-in-Law.

Tamaki had screamed and dropped the phone.

Yuzuru laughed a little at the memory. He went quiet when the door to the kitchen opened and out stepped his mother. Shizue wore a loose fitting kimono meant for casual days at home. It was still very intricately designed and Yuzuru had no idea how she could sleep in such a thing, any more than he knew what she was doing here.

"I thought you went to sleep, Mother," he said.

Shizue, with her usual expression of deep severity and unforgiving judgment, sat down on her chair in the corner by the fireplace. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"I'm not tired."

That most likely was all he would get out of her, so Yuzuru sat back down himself and picked up the remote. He switched from a soap opera, to a teen drama, to an anime, to another soap opera. The phone in the corner rang just as he was about to give up and shut the thing off.

He could barely put it on mute before he'd shot to his feet and grabbed the phone. His mother watched him, brow furrowed with surprise and confusion, as he picked up the call.

"Any news?" He never bothered identifying himself to callers anymore. There was no need and it was risky anyway.

Where he expected the timid voice of an errand boy or the gruff rumbling of the head of the private police force, Yuzuru didn't know what to think when Yoshio Ootori answered back.

"A lot of news," Ootori said. Yuzuru thought he could hear the scritch-scratching of a pen in the background. "You should turn it on right now to get the full story. There should be a broadcast any second now."

Yuzuru glanced back at the TV screen. That soap opera was still on, though without sound, he couldn't know what was happening. The girl on the screen was crying about something while the man tried to comfort her and a sinister looking woman who looked exactly like the girl stood behind them, laughing maniacally. The screen went black, and when the picture came back, it was a bright blue box with the words BREAKING NEWS written on it. Yuzuru turned the sound back on just as an attractive and perky anchorwoman came on.

"We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin," she said. To her right, a photograph appeared, one very much taken up by someone's hand blocking the lens. Nevertheless, more than half of his face was visible between the thumb and ring finger, and it was red with anger and strikingly familiar. Yuzuru almost dropped the phone. "Ran Kusakabe, noted philanthropist and senior board member of Suoh Enterprises, has been caught in an embezzling scandal, the likes of which Japan hasn't seen in over twenty years. And now here's Midori Gazo with more on this story. Midori?"

The screen switched to a woman on the streets of Tokyo. She was bundled up against the cold, her hair loose beneath a pillbox hat. Her white, perfectly in line teeth were in full view as she smiled at the camera.

"Well, Yako, it seems that Kusakabe, who has been known for his many charitable donations to various children's and cancer research charities, has been pocketing far more money than he's been dolling out. Evidence came to us today from an anonymous source that proves Kusakabe to have been using the money to pay for not only his expensive lifestyle-"

The camera panned out to show a large, white mansion the reporter was standing at the gate of. Yuzuru instantly recognized it as Kusakabe's home. That he hadn't already come out to scare the newscaster off was somehow more of a shock.

"-but also countless debts from various gambling ventures, including some very suspicious dealings with the infamous Sendo crime family. Our source tells us that the police have been informed and that we can expect Kusakabe to be indicted by morning based on this highly incriminating evidence. Since receiving the story, we've had several employees of Suoh Enterprises call in to corroborate the story. They describe Kusakabe as 'A vicious and self interested wolf in sheep's clothing, who will do anything to get his hands on a yen and avoid accountability.'

Yuzuru tuned the report out from there. He knew Ootori-san was likely still on the other end, waiting for some kind of response. The reporter kept droning on ("So far, we have no leads as to the location of the incognito Suoh family, however with these new developments, we can assume all those rumors we've been hearing are likely false-"), and Shizue was on her feet. She'd never given News programs much credit, but this one time, she was hanging on every word.

"How did you do this?" Yuzuru struggled to keep calm and not let too much of his reverent joy show.

Yoshio chuckled darkly. "It took time, but once we found a lead, it was easy to discover Kusakabe's dirty little secrets. You can thank my youngest for pointing us in the right direction. I wasn't even aware he was interested in the case, but he brought a few inconsistencies in Kusakabe's bank statements to mine and your men's attention and the rest just fell into place from there."

"Give him my deepest thanks," Yuzuru said. He didn't care to ask how they'd gotten a hold of Kusakabe's personal papers. "He sounds like a remarkably intelligent boy."

"Hmm, yes… I would expect a call from your lawyer soon. Will you be pressing charges against Rando as well for slander?"

"I'll worry about that later," Yuzuru said. He wanted to get this call over with fast, because in a few minutes he'd probably lose control of himself and start singing and dancing. There was just one more thing he needed to know. "Have you given the news to Katsuo-san yet? Does Tamaki know?"

"Not yet," Yoshio answered. "I thought it best to make sure Kusakabe and all those loyal to him were in custody first. We may have stretched the truth a bit to the News station. Kusakabe is to be arrested within the next thirty minutes. Once he's in questioning, we'll know who he's got in his pocket and where to find them. At that point, I will give Katsuo-san the all clear."

"I understand."

Yuzuru found he couldn't stand not hearing his son's voice again for another minutes longer. If only he'd pushed to get his cellphone number so he could actually call him when everything was alright. On the other end, Ootori softened a bit.

"You have nothing to worry about anymore, my friend. Tell Shizue-san, the Suoh family will be back on top by the week's end."

Yuzuru looked at his mother. She was standing before the TV with her hawk-like gaze firmly on the live footage of Kusakabe being mobbed by photographers. He screamed curses at them and shoved cameras away from his face while Shizue looked on. She looked ready to lift her foot and stomp on him like a bug.

"I think she already knows," Yuzuru said.

The call ended there with formal goodbyes and a promise to meet up for dinner someday soon. He didn't bother saying more than two words to his mother when he excused himself to bed. Honestly, he didn't think he'd be sleeping for several hours, but he wanted some time alone right now. He went up the stairs to his room, near the end of the hall and adjacent to his mothers. He sat on the four poster bed and opened the drawer of his hardwood nightstand. The desk lamp went on with a click, and he pulled out the blue leather bound album that had been prime reading material almost every night before bed.

Inside where countless letters written either in elegant French letters or basic higrana. The oldest was ten years old, but it was neatly pressed and laminated and didn't look older than a week. With them were photographs, most of which contained a pair of blondes, one a beautiful woman and the other a happy little boy. Yuzuru laid his head down on the pillow, flipping aimlessly through the pages. The son he'd left to go into hiding was older than the one in these photos, and much more solemn. He'd have to fix that once they were together again.

He comforted himself with the knowledge that it would be very soon. After all this time, it was finally over.

* * *

><p>The curtains went up as the audience cheered and whooped. Several had already gotten to their feet, and only the minor actors had come up to take their bow. He didn't understand where their enthusiasm came from, beyond the possibility that they were the families of the students. Really, the play had been awful. So melodramatic and dripping with the foolish fancies of young teens. By the end of the first act, there wasn't a shred of him that cared for whether or not the male lead would be able to keep his love from committing suicide. Unless he decided to just kill her himself and then turn the gun to his own head, it would never maintain his interest.<p>

Instead, he focused on the left side of the stage. At the start of the play, he'd seen a few young girls in all black clothes setting up props. With them were two boys, one stocky and large, the other tall and skinny. He knew the latter right away. Dyed black hair and color contacts could not hide the fact that he was the very same boy he'd been looking at in a picture all this time. He didn't see Tamaki Suoh again, but he kept his eyes on that tiny opening between the curtains, where there was nothing but blackness. Surely Tamaki would be somewhere in there. He had no way out of here either way, except for in his car or in the trunk.

Another group of kids came out for their bow, followed by another. The two leads got the loudest ovation of all. By now, he was the only one not on his feet. The fifty something housewife on his right and the gangly college kid on his left shot him dirty looks for it. He smiled pleasantly at both of them.

The entire cast came out for one more round of applause. Another boy was with them, lithe and medium height with light brown hair and tears in his lighter brown eyes. The kids in black were with him, the four girls and the stocky boy, and that was all. Now he did stand up. The woman in front of him needed to lose a good fifty pounds or else stop shaking her fat around and obstructing his view.

Tamaki Suoh was definitely not there with them. He was reaching for his phone, the number of his second-in-command was on speed dial and one button away. He stopped when Tamaki stepped out. In his arms was a massive bouquet of flowers that he passed on to the crying boy. All the other kids who were close enough patted him on the shoulder as he cried harder, too touched for words by their simple gift.

This was just too much. He had to get out of here fast before he threw up.

Outside the auditorium, nobody was around except a girl at the refreshment booth. She had headphones securely in place and was moving her arms and hips to music he couldn't hear and would probably detest if he could. Modern music was all garbage as far as he was concerned.

He moved away from he anyway, taking a chance on this would be like signing his own death warrant. When he felt sufficiently far away from any other human contact, and having already had the school building swept for non-existent bugs, he pulled out his phone and pressed the button.

"Target has been located. I repeat, Target has been located. I'll be retrieving him in T-minus ten minutes. Tell the rest to remain in position and wait for my signal."

He shut the phone off.

* * *

><p>There was an incredible energy among the cast and crew of the play. Tamaki could feel it in every single one of them. He didn't think it could hold a candle to what he felt. From the first curtain up to giving Ichirou the flowers Oshiro and Kohaku bought for him, Tamaki couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He'd almost cheered out loud when he won the straw drawing to see who among the crew would be the one to present them. He dimly recalled the others being less enthusiastic about the task, but that was probably his imagination. Who wouldn't want to do it? Ichirou had returned from putting the flowers in the art room. He would've held on to them, were it not for a little announcement right after the audience members started to leave. He stood on a podium in the music room they were lounging in and called them all to attention.<p>

"I want to congratulate you all on your hard work," he said, beaming. "We've got two more nights of performances, and I am confident that it's going to be as spectacular as tonight was, if not more."

"Well, we have you to thank for that," Tamaki said.

"Thank you kindly, Okada," Ichirou winked in Tamaki's direction. "But I couldn't have done it without all of you, and that's why I'd like you all to adjourn to the gymnasium for a little party in your honor!"

Everyone started clapping at the mention of a party, drowning Ichirou out to anyone who wasn't in the front row or right next to him. They crowded into the hall and walked the short distance to the auditorium, conversing about this and that while Tamaki went to walk with the girls.

They entered the gymnasium, to find the dividers in place and the entire left side covered in streamers and balloons, with a big banner up top proclaiming: THANK YOU CAST AND CREW. Refreshment tables had been set up, and an enormous stereo system sat in the corner. Everyone ran inside, many having not even changed out of their costumes yet. Some of them danced while others made a beeline for the snacks. Tamaki could see Mei and Kasumi in front of the punch bowl and Kohaku walking to the bleachers.

"I don't like dancing," she said to no one in particular.

"I don't either, but it's fun for everyone else," Ichirou said as he walked by with two cups in hand. "Punch?"

Kohaku took it without a word and sat down while Ichirou went to stand with Konimi and another girl.

"At least try to have some fun, would you, Kohaku?" Mei yelled out to her.

"You and I have very different ideas about what is fun."

Mei huffed and waved her off. She drank down her punch and set the empty cup down on the table. She turned all the way around and stared directly at Tamaki, who froze under her penetrating gaze. She began rubbing her neck, slow and first, but gradually going faster when Tamaki did nothing but stare. He furrowed his brow as something twinged in his memory. That was supposed to mean something… right?

Apparently so, because Mei cried out in frustration- startling the young couple flirting nearby- and charged at him. Tamaki had no time to run or to say anything or even to become scared as Mei was on him instant. She dragged him by the wrist into the corner, almost pulling him off his feet as he wasn't prepared for it.

"I was calling you," she snapped over her shoulder. "And you just stand there gaping like a fish! Don't you remember: rubbing the neck means emergency!"

"I'm sorry," Tamaki said. "I just forgot for a second… wasn't rubbing the neck 'I need the bathroom'? Or with that tugging the collar?"

"Enough about that," Mei said with a sharp shake of her head. She then pointed at the dance floor, tapping Tamaki hard on the back so he'd look were she was pointing. "Looks like Motou's finally making his move."

On the dance floor, Motou was clumsily guiding Konimi left and right, seemingly without any set rhythm. The song currently playing, while not exactly slow, wasn't nearly as fast as his movements made it out to be. It was taking all Konimi had not to be knocked of her feet. They had one close call that made Tamaki wince, and Motou turn bright red as he apologized profusely. Konimi, looking anything but forgiving, held up a hand to silence him, and then presumably allowed him to continue the dance. Tamaki couldn't say why that was. Maybe Konimi was just a more patient person than he knew.

"Well… he's trying very hard!"

Mei didn't share his optimism, however. She had her arms crossed and her mouth set in a hard line that was neither a smile nor a frown no matter what angle Tamaki looked at it from. She shook her head once from to side, then gestured at another couple, this one over by the bleachers, deep in conversation.

"At least you got one right."

Tamaki glanced at Kurosawa and Oshiro briefly, just long enough to see the two of them facing each other on the bottom row, their heads bent slightly in. Oshiro had he back to him, but she was speaking if the movements of her jaw were any indication. Kurosawa hung on to her every word. He wasn't answering, at least not yet, but he smiled and nodded and gave her his full attention. The song changed to one that was loud and fast and blaring (it was a shame Konimi had gone to dance with someone else because it was definitely Motou's kind of song) and neither of them reacted in the slightest. Tamaki looked away to give them some more privacy.

He put his hands on his hips and inhaled long and hard so that his chest puffed out.

"Gives you a great feeling, doesn't it? So much love and joy in the air!"

Mei shrugged. "Some more juice would make me much happier."

She walked off without another word, leaving behind a visibly deflating Tamaki. He casually glanced out the open double doors. They lead to a hall that was mostly empty, except for a young man Tamaki immediately recognized as Sato, and two middle-aged adults standing before him. He wasn't looking them in the eyes, his shoes were apparently more interesting. If he was talking, Tamaki was too far away to tell, but the looks on his parents' faces spoke volumes. When Sato looked up, his mother reached out tentatively and placed her hand in his. His father didn't speak or move, but when his mother pulled Sato into a tight hug, he wrapped his arms around them both.

They stayed like that for the longest time. Tamaki looked away several times, either out of fear of getting caught staring, or to check and see where everyone else was right now. Whenever he looked back, they were still there. And if he didn't know any better, Tamaki would think Sato and his father had tears in their eyes.

What a beautiful family they were.

Tamaki looked away again, this time to alleviate a dull aching in his chest. His mind replayed the short, strained conversation he'd had with his father earlier that day. It seemed to get harder and harder to talk to him every week, because more and more, Tamaki just wanted to burst into tears and tell him how much he missed him. Him and everything else.

"Hey, Okada!"

Tamaki looked up. Kurosawa and Oshiro in front of him, where they had just moments ago been all the way across the room… hadn't they?

"I guess I wasn't paying attention," he said to himself.

"What was that?" Kurosawa said as they drew closer. "Quit talking to yourself, it's weird."

Oshiro lightly slapped him on the arm and he made a face, which she answered with an equally mocking one of her own. IF their goal in approaching him and been to cheer Tamaki up, they were succeeding. A laugh was building in Tamaki's stomach, any more of this and he just might have to let it out.

"What Arata-kun is trying to say is that you've been sitting here all night long!" Oshiro gently took him by the arm and directed him to the dance floor. "Why not go and have some fun? I don't think you'd be hard pressed to find a partner."

There were indeed several girls looking his way, now that he had stepped out of the shadows and was bathed in a wandering searchlight. It lingered on him for a few seconds, then moved on. Tamaki was left to wonder where on earth Ichirou had found that while all eyes remained on him. He slowly nodded his head.

"Maybe I will, thanks."

He made his way to the center. The girls stood around him, some closer than others, some whispering to their friends and giggling, some trying to convince the shyer girls to go over and talk to him. Tamaki answered them all the same way, with a wink and a smile that made them flush. They were all very pretty, but Tamaki had already caught sight of someone else, who held his attention more than all of his admirers combined.

Haruhi was standing in the corner away from everyone else. Long brown tresses covered part of her face from view, while her bangs shielded her eyes. Tamaki couldn't tell what she was looking at, or if she could even see him coming. She didn't appear nervous or afraid, but still out of place in the loud and fast paced environment. Coming closer, Tamaki could see a little more of her face, and she looked more bored than anything else. She met his gaze, and his name passed by her lips, but her voice was soft and Tamaki couldn't hear it over the music. He could only read the movement of her lips.

"It must be boring, standing over here by yourself," Tamaki said loudly. "Would you like to dance?"

The question came out a lot smoother than he thought it would. Whatever nervousness he might have felt was starting to wane, though his heart still raced when Haruhi blinked and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not too fond of dancing."

"What? Sure you are!" Tamaki said. "Remember that day at the arcade?"

"You kind of dragged me into that one, Senpai," she answered.

"But you had fun," he said with a little pout.

Haruhi fidgeted in place. His puppy like look resonated with some deep part of her that she'd thought disappeared the day she stopped caring about her stuffed toys. Perhaps, then, it was a good thing that she'd only ever liked them as a passing fancy, because even that wasn't going to move her.

"Yeah, I guess so," she said. "But I'd still rather not."

Tamaki deflated, but his disappointment was temporary.

"That's okay, I'll just sit here with you."

He settled himself against the wall beside her, leaving no room for arguments. Haruhi moved away from the wall, mouth open like she was about to speak, but somewhere in the middle, she must have changed her mind. She leaned back again and watched as the dancers started to disperse in search of food. The refreshment table was packed with actors and crew members, all talking over each other. Tamaki and Haruhi were among the few who stood away from them, and a quick look around the area revealed Sato and Ichirou to also be staying away. They were on the other side of the large room, deep in conversation the way Kurosawa and Oshiro had been just a few minutes ago. Sato glanced up at one point, likely aware that he was being watched. He locked eyes with Tamaki for a few seconds, and sent a glare his was that didn't have nearly the bite to it as the ones he'd worn in the past. When he looked back at Ichirou, it melted completely away, and a truly dopey grin replaced it.

"Friend of yours?"

Tamaki turned to Haruhi, unaware until now that she'd been looking in the same direction as him.

"Yeah, he came to me for advice a few days ago. I'm so happy he took it to heart!"

"He does look happy," Haruhi said with a nod. "So does Ichirou."

Tamaki noted the small smile on Ichirou's face as he nodded yes to whatever Sato was asking him.

"You look happy too."

His head snapped around, and he caught the tiny blush on Haruhi's face right before she turned away. Her failed attempt to hide it slipped past him. He could focus only on her words and on the many questions they raised. Only one managed to fully form itself in his mind, enough that it could spill from his lips.

"What do you mean by that?"

She looked at him again, more hesitantly.

"I just meant that you look better. The last time we talked- really talked- you just seemed pretty out of it."

"And I got better because you helped me," Tamaki said like it was something obvious. Which it was. "I don't know why you can't see that."

"I just don't think I did nearly as much as you do."

"Maybe, but in this case, you are the advice giver and I'm the advice getter, and therefore it's my place to say whether or not it helped far more than yours. And I'll tell you again, Haruhi, and I'll keep telling you until you believe it: you made everything feel alright again that day."

He stood over her now, one arm keeping him steady as he hovered above her. His superior height left her craning her neck up to meet his gaze, and her eyes were wide open. She didn't even blink. When she smiled again, Tamaki felt tension he didn't even know was there leave him. It looked like he'd finally gotten through that endearingly thick head of hers. If not, he'd just have to try again later.

"That's… very kind of you."

"It's the truth," Tamaki moved back out of her space and crossed his arms over his chest. He let his head fall back and his closed his eyes against the harsh glare of the lights. He was a picture of pure contentment. "I'm realizing that this place isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Being at this school, and in our club, and meeting so many people… it's everything I'd always hoped to find in Japan, just not where I thought I'd find it. And that's okay."

He opened one eye, but he didn't need to to know she was listening. He could feel her eyes on him.

"It's terrible of me, but I'm almost glad for what has befallen my family. Because if it hadn't, I never would have come to Genkaku, and I never would have met you… or the others, of course."

He added that last part while a blush of his own creeped along his face. He kept still and opened one eye to see Haruhi watching him intently, but betraying no emotion towards what he'd just said beyond a small smile.

"Well, Senpai, you may be a little overbearing sometimes, but I'm glad I met you to."

"Overbearing?!" Tamaki shouted, only slightly hurt and purposefully exaggerating it for emaphsis. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Haruhi's answer was a laugh that she failed to stifle with her hand. Tamaki's anger fled him, and he felt like laughing along with her. He was getting very close to doing just that, when his pocket vibrated and rang a loud, ear splitting tune. Haruhi winced at the sound, and Tamaki gave her an apologetic look. He would have liked to explain that he hated the tune as much as she did and just didn't know how to change it, but when he pulled the phone from his pocket and looked at the ID, the words died in his throat.

"It's Katsuo-san," he said. "Looks like he sent me a text. That's weird."

Tamaki flipped the phone open and ran his fingers over the button. Something was giving him pause, though he knew he had nothing to fear from Katsuo-san. If he was sending him a message via this route, it must be something important.

"He's never texted you before?" Haruhi asked. She stood beside him but kept her eyes off the screen.

"No, he does occasionally, like when I don't answer the phone after a couple of tries." Tamaki suppressed a shudder at the memory of one particular day when he did just that and had to suffer a massive verbal thrashing later on at target practice. He thought it a miracle that he'd left that place full of guns and ammunition in one piece, Katsuo-san's fury was so great. "I don't think my phone rang before, though. He may just be being cautious, he's always been like that. He used to be a cop, you know."Tamaki ceased rambling and clicked 'open message.'

'_Urgent news. Meet me in at the front entrance ASAP. Family business. Bring no one.'_

"Oh!"

His exclamation dragged Haruhi's eyes away from the wall up ahead. She seemed intent on not looking at the phone and giving him his privacy.

"What is it?"

"Katsuo-san has urgent news. It's about my family!"

Haruhi's eyes widened, the implications as clear to her as they were to him.

"You think something happened? Something good?"

"I hope so…" Tamaki's feet moved of their own violation to the door, and he wasn't about to stop for anything, except to look over his shoulder. "I have to go and meet him. We'll talk more when I get back."

"Okay, I hope it goes well," she answered. As he got further away, her voice was growing fainter.

"It will be, I have a good feeling about this!" Tamaki could barely contain his glee. "Pretty soon, I'll be able to take you on that trip we talked about. To the Mediterranean. Just you wait, Haruhi!"

He was half-running now, and broke into a full sprint on that last word, barreling out the door without a care for who saw or what they thought about it. On his way down numerous halls and even more doors and windows, Tamaki got a quick glimpse of his reflection. It might have been his imagination, but his blond hair was showing at the roots again. He pictured his full head of golden hair and how he might just be seeing it again very soon. Wait until everyone got a load of him then!

When the front entrance was in sight, Tamaki sped up. Exhaustion took a backseat to anticipation that fueled his adrenaline. He screeched to a stop at the threshold, taking a moment to catch his breath. He looked around the open area, with full expectations that Katsuo-san would be at his side, waiting for him to stop gasping his lungs out with that sour scowl on his face that belied the truly caring individual underneath.

Tamaki was alone.

He blinked several times, making sure there really was no one else around and it wasn't just a trick of the light.

"Hello?" he called out, cupping one hand around his mouth. "Katsuo-san? I got your message. Are you here?"

'_Did I go to the wrong entrance?'_

Tamaki checked the door behind him and the gates and shrubbery outside that it led to. The street and cars were illuminated by a row of lamps, the very same one he was driven by every morning and walked away from every night. It was definitely the front entrance, right where Katsuo-san had asked to meet up at.

"Maybe I took too long and he went looking for me," Tamaki thought aloud. He turned around to face the hall entrance, but his eyes were on his arms wrapped tight around his body. He was feeling cold all of a sudden. "Maybe-"

A hand reached around to his chest, pulling him back into a hard body. Something stuck at his lower back, something round and cold that Tamaki knew very well. Too well. With a sick realization, Tamaki forced his neck around as far as he could, and looked into a pair of cold, unfeeling brown eyes that were positively black in the dim lighting. The gun at Tamaki's back cocked as the man grinned, and his teeth looked sharper than a wolf's fangs.

"Good evening, Tamaki Suoh. It's nice to meet you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I actually shortened this chapter a bit because the next one would've been too short otherwise. It was still going to be a cliffhanger, though, so you would have been spared nothing. :)**

**Four more chapters to go. See you next time!**


	11. Rescue Club

Tamaki was shoved into the next room. The man kept his gun in place, digging into Tamaki's back so hard, it would probably leave a mark the next morning. Assuming Tamaki lived to see the next morning, of course. The man switched on the light, and Tamaki was momentarily blinded. When his eyes came back into focus, he found himself in an unused classroom. Old desks and chairs lined the back wall, with a few extras scattered around the room in a malformed square. On the opposite wall was an old and badly chipped teacher's desk, and slumped over beside it with blood all over his face was-

"Katsuo-san?!"

The man smacked Tamaki over the head with the gun, then covered his mouth to muffle the cry of pain. Tamaki saw stars and darkness. He had almost been knocked out by that blow, the same way Katsuo-san must have. Because there was no way this man could've really killed him. No way…

There came a low moan from Katsuo-san, like he was empathically feeling Tamaki fear and wanted to reassure him that he was right, and that he was still alive. Tamaki would've been relieved, but the man didn't seem to like this development. Cursing under his breath, he planted a kick squarely in Katsuo-san's chest. The man's head flew back against the hard wood and knocked him right back out. Tamaki fidgeted, fighting back the instinct to rush over and see if he was alright. Not like he could've done it anywhere, with the man's steel-like arm wrapped around him.

The man looked down on Katsuo-san's fallen form, then pulled out a cell phone and made a call. When the other end came on, he merely told them to come to the room and then hung up. Five minutes later, another man, one shorter than Tamaki's captor, but no less angry and intimidating looking, entered the room. The first man pointed at Katsuo-san, and the second one nodded and threw the unconscious man over his shoulder. He left just as fast as he arrived, taking Katsuo-san with him to parts unknown. Tamaki's captor grinned.

"Now that we've got _that_ out of the way…"

He grabbed a chair, careful to pick it up and not let it slide across the floor. He placed it behind Tamaki and shoved him down on it. He then placed the gun back in it's holster, much to Tamaki's surprise. The man's evil grin removed any hope this action might have granted him.

"Don't bother trying to run, the door is locked. I can have this out and a bullet in your back before you even get the latch undone, so just sit quietly like a good little boy."

Tamaki looked away, not wanting to speak a word to this man, and that silence must have been a good enough answer, because the man nodded and turned away. He walked to the desk and reach behind it, pulling out a bundle of heavy rope which he proceeded to unravel. Tamaki gulped.

"You know, for such a crappy hiding place, you were pretty hard to find," the man said casually as he worked. "Those Ootori people who were helping you, they've got some tight ass security in their systems. Nothing we couldn't break through eventually, but damn did it take time. I was getting bored, thinking about taking on another job in the interim just so I'd have something to do."

He threw down the rope when a particularly difficult knot impeded him. Blowing air out through his nose, the man took a seat and got back to work.

"Not that I was about to give up on you, no sir. When I take a job, I stick with it until the target is dead and the money is in my pocket. Consider yourself lucky Kusakabe preferred you alive, Tamaki. I would've already shot you otherwise."

He stood back up, having succeeded in getting the rope undone. The gun under his jacket was painfully visible, the make of it familiar to Tamaki in a way that made his stomach drop further. The man grabbed one end of the rope, pulling it taut and smiling wide at Tamaki.

"Stay still now," he said as he approached. "We'll get this done a lot fast-"

A door slammed outside. Two pairs of eyes shot to the locked door that still couldn't keep out the sound of loud footsteps and a shouting feminine voice.

"Hey, Tamaki, you out here?"

'_Mei…' _Tamaki thought. What in the name of God was she doing out here?

"Tamaki?" she kept saying, her voice coming dangerously close. "Hey, Suoh, where the hell are you? Yoo-hoo! Come out come out wherever you are!"

'_Mei, stop it! Go away!'_

He was so desperate to say it out loud, he might have even done it, even if it meant risking the man's wrath. He only didn't upon remember that that wrath would most definitely involve bullets being fired. And if Mei heard that, there's no way the man would let her run off and get help. He'd go right out there as soon as Tamaki was dead and send her along to heaven with him.

'_Mei, please just leave.'_

The man growled like an animal and yanked Tamaki back up. Before he could speak, the gun was level with his face.

"Get rid of her," the man said, pushing his face close to Tamaki's. "Tell her everything is fine and to go back to your party. If you so much as hint to her that something is wrong, she gets one right between the eyes."

He clicked off the safety slowly, threateningly. Tamaki got the message loud and clear, though it made his stomach hurt and his legs feel like jelly. He somehow made it to the door and unlocked it. The man turned out the lights, but made his continued presence known through heavy breathing and keeping the gun lightly against Tamaki's back. He opened the door.

Mei was about five feet away, having walked right by without a clue. She looked over her shoulder at the sound of a creaking door and her face broke into a smile.

"There you are," she said, walking back. "Where the hell have you been, I've been looking for you. And what are you doing in there?"

She sniffed at the dirty old room, though it was pitch black inside and she wasn't able to actually see anything. She had no idea that this fact alone was saving her life.

"I'm alright, Mei," Tamaki said. All his lessons in etiquette, all his practice in charm and hiding his negative emotions were being put to the test. He held back the screams for help that had been building in his throat since he first felt the gun in his back. It took everything he had, but it must have been working. Mei didn't look suspicious yet, just a little confused.

"If you're so alright, what are you doing in this dirty old classroom?"

Tamaki forced a laugh. "Oh, this place? I come here from time to time just to think. It's actually a very pleasant environment when you give it a chance."

Somewhere behind him, a piece of rotting wood fell from a desk at the very top of the tower.

The man pushed the gun harder in his spine, his mouth coming right up to Tamaki's ear.

"Enough chit-chat. _Get rid of her now_."

Tamaki's hands on the doorframe started to sweat, and he rubbed them off on his black jeans. Hopefully, it was the only visible sign of distress that he had. Mei didn't seem to notice what he was doing, keeping her focus on his face only. She studied him silently, looking less and less convinced by the second.

"I'd really just like to be alone right now, Mei, if it's alright with you."

Mei crossed her arms, drumming those painted fingers of hers on the bare skin of her arm.

"Haruhi said you got a phone call, something about your family," she said. "Everything okay?"

"Fine, just fine," Tamaki said, and nodded one too many times before making himself stop. "Nothing's happening, though. Just a false alarm, but it got me thinking and that's why I'd like some time to myself right now."

The gun was pressed further in, and Tamaki almost choked on his last few words. The man was getting impatient again. Any longer, and he might just forget about letting Mei go and just shoot her. Bile rushed back to Tamaki's throat. He almost couldn't speak. Then Mei sighed and waved a dismissive hand.

"Whatever, enjoy your thinking time in your… lovely special place."

Her distasteful eye searched the blackness behind him. Tamaki was split between wanting her to see the man and knowing that she needed to get help, and wanted her to remain unaware of his presence so she'd walk away and save her own life.

"Thanks, Mei," he said quietly.

If he thought she would go after that, he was wrong. Her feet were planted firmly on the ground like she hadn't quite said her peace yet.

"Just get back out here soon, before Haruhi and everyone else starts thinking that you've been spirited away by your rich family to Tijuana or something. That's the kind of thing your fellow club members deserve to know about, Pres."

Though her voice is dripping with sarcasm, Tamaki didn't care. Not in the slightest. He was far more concerned with _what _she just said than how she said it. He felt his whole body shake with excitement, though it was particularly bad in his hands. He leaned his shoulder against the door, a poor attempt at looking casual. The man behind him shifted, like he was worried he'd be exposed, even though Tamaki hadn't moved much at all. He flexed his fingers a few times to stop their trembling, and then brought them to his neck.

He rubbed his neck slowly.

"I agree with you completely Mei," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "You deserve to know exactly what's going on."

'_Emergency! This is an emergency!'_

"And I will tell you everything as soon as I'm done here."

'_HEEEELP!'_

To his utter joy, Mei was following the movements of his hands. He rubbed his neck a few more times with purpose, repeating 'Emergency' again and again in his mind, as if their club's secret code could also work as a form of telepathy. Slowly Mei nodded her head and stepped away.

"Okay, great," she said, never taking her eyes off of him. "I'll let Haruhi know. Don't take too much longer, or we will leave without you."

Tamaki switched from rubbing his neck to saluting. "I read you loud and clear!"

The man waited until Mei was down the hall and out of sight to pull Tamaki back into the darkness and throw him onto the chair. The lights came back on, but they didn't hurt this time. Instead, the rope wrapped around his chest, securing him to the chair, brought him pain. He winced and wheezed as the man pulled it harder, so tight that Tamaki could barely breath. It seemed to take hours, and when the man was through, he started on Tamaki's arms. Soon his wrists were bound as tightly as the rest of him. The man then walked away and pulled out a cell phone and dialed, mumbling to himself the entire way. He had left Tamaki's legs unbound. It didn't matter, Tamaki knew that even if he could lift himself up and run, he wouldn't be fast enough to escape. He'd be dead before he reached the door. The knowledge made his stomach turn and brought tears close to falling. He sucked them back, reminding himself that all hope wasn't lost.

There was at least one chance at freedom, and no matter how weak it was, it was something for him to cling to. He told himself it would be alright, because Mei had received his message, and she _would _go and find help.

* * *

><p>Mei walked back into the party and went straight to Haruhi, who was having a glass of punch at the refreshment table and thinking about how much longer she should stay if she was going to beat Dad home. Knowing him, he'd been working late on a Friday night, so there was a chance she could stay the whole way through. She didn't like parties much, though, and this one was no different. Really, the only reason she hadn't left already was because she was waiting to hear back from Tamaki about his family. She took one look at Mei and swallowed her drink, setting it down without looking and almost missing her coaster.<p>

"I found him," Mei said before Haruhi could open her mouth to ask. "He was have some private time to think or something. I don't know, he was acting weird."

That caught Haruhi by surprise. Saying that Tamaki Suoh was 'acting weird' could mean very different things than calling anyone else weird. She tried to imagine what Mei could mean, picturing a surly or an unemotional Tamaki who didn't jump for joy whenever he saw her. She raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Did he tell you what the text was all about?"

"He said it was nothing," Mei shrugged. "But what's weird is he starting using the secret code to send me a message."

Haruhi blinked. "That is weird."

"What's going on?"

The two girls turned to find Kasumi and Kohaku walking over. Kohaku was nursing another punch and not looking anyone's way, but Kasumi was giving them her full attention, and even looked a little concerned. Mei waved her off.

"It's nothing, I was just talking to Suoh and he gave me the neck rubbing signal."

"Did he?" asked a disinterested Kohaku.

"Yeah, and he was _really_ milking it too. I don't get it," Mei said, shaking her head. "I mean, if he needs to go to the bathroom so bad, why not just go? No need to announce it to me."

She was about to walk away and presumably forget the whole thing in favor of flirting with some guys or arguing with the costume department a little more, when Haruhi's arm shot out in her path, stopping her dead.

"Wha- what's with you all of a sudden?"

She looked at Haruhi, perturbed and impatient. Haruhi wasn't moved.

"Didn't you say rubbing the neck meant 'emergency?'" she asked slowly.

Mei stared dumbly for a moment, and then her face lit up. "Oh, right! It does. Haha, silly me."

She grinned sheepishly, while Kasumi sighed and gazed at the wall like she longed to smash her head against it.

No more words were exchanged until Mei's smile fell and her skin paled. Haruhi wasn't surprised, she'd been expecting it.

"So that means something's wrong with Suoh?"

"It has to," Kasumi said. "Unless he really did mean to make the bathroom sign and got them mixed up."

"No, he wouldn't do that," Mei said, shaking her head distractedly.

Haruhi, for her part, was already halfway to the wide open doors. She looked back at the others, waiting for them to catch on and follow her. They did not disappoint. Mei and Kasumi were at her side in an instant, with Kohaku tagging along at a noticeably slower pace.

"Come on," Haruhi prompted her. "Tamaki-senpai might really be in trouble."

Kohaku moved faster, though she didn't look convinced.

"I hope so, I know I don't want to be the butt of some kind of joke…"

She trailed off, possibly realizing that Tamaki being honest implied something far worse than some ill conceived practical joke. Soon, she was running with the rest of them, out the door and out of sight. They didn't see the couple, paused in the middle of the dance floor, watching them go, perplexed. Oshiro turned to Kurosawa.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

Kurosawa kept his eyes on the girls and their retreating forms as his expression hardened. He heard their approach, but didn't see his friends and their dates come to stand next to them, looking in the same direction he was, likely with all the same questions, and hopefully with the same course of action in mind.

"I don't know… but it doesn't sound good."

* * *

><p>"Over here!"<p>

Mei pointed to a closed door up ahead. Haruhi recognized it as the old, unused classroom that the school board never got around to renovating it. The windows were covered in paper bag, when a small rip about halfway up that allowed a beam of light to stream through. Red flags were raised in Haruhi's mind. What would Tamaki be doing in a room like this?

She wasn't the only one wondering.

"Are you sure it was in this room?"

"Yes, Kohaku," Mei answered exasperatedly. "He said he goes in their to 'think about things sometimes.'"

Kohaku snorted. "Well, that's a crock if I ever heard one."

"Yeah, I know that now, thanks."

"Would you two knock it off!" Kasumi hissed.

Haruhi shushed them all as she made it to the door. She pressed a hand against the crinkling bag paper, and then her ear. While the girls surrounded her, Haruhi struggled to hear something coming from inside, anything that could indicate Tamaki was in there, but there was nothing. She slowly moved away, the look on her face explanation enough for the girls that she was unsuccessful.

"How do we know he's even still here?" Kohaku asked. "Maybe he left and he really did just misused the secret code."

"I told you, he wouldn't," Mei said, lowering her voice in between words when she started too loud. Haruhi gave her a look, but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Kasumi was staring hard at the hole above them. "We need to get up there."

She stood in Haruhi's vacant spot in front of the window, looking all the way up. The was at least teen feet up, far too high for any of them to reach on their own. All they could see from their vantage point was a portion of the ceiling, bright yellow from the dull lighting that had never been upgraded. It told them that someone was definitely in there, or had been at some point.

"One of us is going to have to get up there," Kasumi said, looking to the others.

Her eyes made it clear what she meant. Mei and Kohaku shared awkward looks and stayed in place. It didn't matter to Haruhi, who was filled with a kind of determination that was completely alien to her. It overwhelmed the general apathy she walked the world with, and had only just become aware of.

"I'll do it."

She walked to Kasumi, who was rolling back her sleeves in preparation. She heard a sound from behind, like Mei or Kohaku was about to say something to dissuade her, but then changed their mind at the last second. Haruhi didn't break stride. Kasumi took her firmly by the waist, hands digging into her skin to get the best possible grip. Together, they counted three seconds, and then Haruhi was in the air and closing in on the hole. Kasumi grunted, the effort of holding her already putting strain on her. Haruhi couldn't say she disagreed, the fingers in her sides were quickly starting to hurt. She grabbed the top of the lockers and tried to force herself up and take some of the pressure off Kasumi. Haruhi immediately regretted opting out of gym classes every year. Her skinny arms wobbled and barely kept her an inch up. She struggled to get higher, the hole hovering next to her forehead now.

"Just a little more," she called down.

Kasumi groaned, and Haruhi feared for a moment that she couldn't do anymore. Then Kasumi started to bring her down again, seemingly confirming this thought. Haruhi's feet never touched the ground, because then Kasumi shot right back up and Haruhi's eyes found the opening. Kasumi's strength lasted all of five seconds before she had to put Haruhi down, but it was enough.

It was enough to make Haruhi completely forget her pain and to completely stop her heart.

There was a man, large and decked out in black. A wool cap covered his head, stringy brown hair sticking out, unkempt. His back was to her, hiding his face. He had a phone in one hand and waved around the other like he was angry. In his other hand was a gun. Tamaki was watching him from the chair he was tied to in the center of the room. The lights reflected the sweat on his face and neck. She had never seen anyone look so scared before. She could only compare it to her own fear, and that was enough to make her want to collapse right on the spot.

"He's in there," she said, her voice wavering with unconcealed terror. "He's been tied up. There's a man with a gun holding him."

The girls all sucked in a breath. Kohaku's face had gone paler than snow and Mei's jaw was about to hit the floor, but Kasumi maintained a degree of cool.

"What do we do?"

Kohaku looked at her incredulously. "Really? We have to go call the police! They may be useless, but it's better than just standing here."

"But what if they don't come in time?" Kasumi asked. "We'd have to stay here to make sure they don't go anywhere. This guy Haruhi saw must be someone that Kusakabe guy hired to track Suoh. He won't stick around all night, he'll leave."

"Does anyone even have their phone?" Mei piped in. She had been fishing through her pockets all this time, and coming up empty handed wherever she looked.

Kasumi and Kohaku went for their pockets. Haruhi didn't own a cell phone to begin with, and kept her eyes on the door while her friends searched. What she wouldn't give to see what was happening in there. She should've torn that paper off when she had the chance.

'_No, then the gunman would see us,' _her logical side reminded her. _'There's nothing we can do on our own. We have to get help.'_

Behind her, Kasumi and Kohaku were looking at each other and Mei, helplessly.

"I can't believe you too," Mei snapped, stamping her foot. "What kind of moron forgets their own cell phone?"

Kasumi and Kohaku gave her withering looks.

"Enough, you guys," Haruhi said. "If we can't do anything here, we're just to have to find help somewhere else."

"Like where? The Principal and the rest of the staff are all gone by now," said Mei.

"And who knows how long it'll be before this guy drags Suoh off or worse?" asked Kohaku.

Haruhi tried to ignore the horrible pains in her chest that the idea of 'worse' brought up. She saw Kasumi with her ear pressed against the door, listening in vain. All their efforts would be in vain if they tried to rescue him themselves. Not to mention the 'worse' that could be applied to them.

"We just have to try," she said firmly. "We'll go back to the party. Someone in there is bound to have a phone, and then we-"

The door swung open, cutting her next words off. Kasumi, who had given up on trying to hear inside mere seconds ago, was the first to act. She seized Haruhi and Mei by the collars, pulling them back as Kohaku scrambled after them on her own. Mei squeaked, and then quickly covered her mouth. They hid in a gap between lockers, backs pressed tight against the wall. They were lucky that it was wide enough to fit all of them. The man Haruhi saw stepped out, his back to them again. He still had that phone in his hand, only now it was down by his side, and he was squeezing it tight enough to crush it.

"Rotten Bastard," he grumbled. "Why won't you pick up, Kusakabe?"

A painfully long beat followed. Haruhi couldn't breath, and neither could anyone else from the looks of it. With lighting fast reflexes, the man punched at the lockers beside him in anger. Mei whimpered again, but her hand was still over her mouth. Haruhi grasped her other hand, the only comfort she knew how to offer. Mei exhaled deeply, her body relaxing just a tad.

They watched in deafening silence as the man pulled his gun from underneath his jacket, examined it, then put it back. He punched in numbers on his phone and started walking away. Haruhi was so relieved, she could have cheered. She didn't doubt Mei wanted to even more.

"Yeah, it's me. I still can't get in touch with him," the man was saying. He had put a great deal of distance between himself and the four girls by now, his voice was steadily growing softer. "I'm going to check the back entrance one more time. Might get better reception out there too. All of you stay in position and wait…"

A door slammed, and Haruhi heard no more. She stood numb with the others for a few seconds, looking back at them from her spot closest to the door. Some kind of adrenaline rush must've kicked in right there, because suddenly she was running to the old classroom, Mei, Kasumi and Kohaku right on her tail.

The man had moved Tamaki further from the center, and tied his legs up now for good measure. Tamaki was staring forlornly out the window, possibly dreaming of the life he was coming close to losing and all the people who loved him that he'd never see again. And his thoughts were probably as dramatic as they'd always been, because he went from gloomy to lit up like a Christmas tree the moment he saw them.

"Haruhi!"

Haruhi felt something odd in her chest when he addressed her first.

"Mei! Kasumi! Kohaku! You all came to save me!"

Mei smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, of course we did. Once I got your message, I brought everyone over as fast as I could."

She received more flat looks from Kasumi and Kohaku, before the former knelt down in front of him. She gently pulled Tamaki's legs up to feel the knot in back of them. Kasumi let out a thoughtful hum as she felt it from every angle. When her inspection was complete, she sat down on the floor with her hands on her legs and didn't look all that happy.

"These are some tight knots," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, really heavy duty. This guy must've been in the army or something."

Tamaki squirmed in place, the wooden chair cracking under his weight, but still looking perfectly sturdy. Kasumi grabbed him by the shoulders to hold him in place and looked him right in the eye.

"Don't do that, you'll make them tighter."

Tamaki frowned, then nodded slowly and took deep, relaxing breaths. He leaned his head back, letting his short hair fall out of his face. Haruhi stood over him, feeling anxious and nervous and useless all at once. Now that they were in, they'd only have a short amount of time before that man came back and caught them. Haruhi remembered metallic shine of that gun and could already hear it going off in her mind. She recalled a few nights ago, when her father's favorite action film had come on TV and he'd begged her to stay up and watch it with him. 'Father-Daughter Bonding Time, he called it. She never liked action movies to begin with, but standing here now, just waiting to hear the man's footsteps again at any moment, she could hear those number gunshots so very loud. It felt like her ears were ringing.

"I'm going to go watch for that guy," Kohaku said suddenly.

"Me too," Mei said, following the smaller girl to the door. "We'll let you know if he's coming back."

"Just try not to let him see you," Kasumi called back. She was deep in concentration, pulling and tugging at the knots from each end, trying to find even the slightest amount of give.

The longer it took her, the more Haruhi felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest. She looked at Tamaki, and found he was in no better state. He smiled humorlessly at her. When he looked up, she could see unshed tears in his eyes.

"I- I can't tell you how sorry I am," he said. "I never wanted to get you all involved in this awful mess."

"Don't do that," Haruhi said, forcing a smile of her own. "I already told you, we aren't going abandon you, not for anything."

Tamaki's gaze was penetrating her defenses, leaving her with the overwhelming desire to cry with him. She couldn't remember the last time she wanted to cry so badly. She stood there with this very odd individual who was turning her life upside down with just a word and a snap of his fingers, and they could die at any moment, and knowing this brought a strange sort of peace over her. She felt like it would be okay, as long as he was here, alive, and next to her. They were going to get out of this.

Kasumi whooped and pumped a fist in the air, and then Tamaki was kicking out his legs, free from the rope that bound them.

"Oh, that is much better," he said through choked laughter.

"Nothing yet," Mei called from the door she and Kohaku were poking their heads out.

Kasumi nodded, and didn't take more time to enjoy her success. She went right to work on his wrists with restored determination and an all new confidence. She wasn't an expert at tying knots for nothing.

"When this is over, I am taking you guys camping," she said, easily pulling apart the knot binding his right arm. She went now for the third and final. "You ever been camping, Suoh?"

"No, but after this, I'd be happy to try."

Kasumi laughed, and wore a cocky grin as she took one end of the rope between two fingers and pulled. It came free and fell to the floor, limp like a dead snake. Tamaki was free.

He got to his feet, rubbing at the reddened skin the rope had left behind. He muttered to himself something about hoping there would be no scaring. Haruhi rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh. Only Tamaki…

"Uh, guys? I hear something!"

Kohaku and Mei came back inside looking panicked. Tamaki's hands clenched into fist as he went around them and towards the open door. He was shaken, but bravely stuck his head out, only to pull it back in seconds later. His face was sheet white.

"I hear it too," he said in a haunting voice. "And I think there's more than one."

Time seemed to slow down, and with it went the sound and the color. Haruhi stood rigid as the others joined her to form a circle. Tamaki and Kohaku's bodies covered the door form view, but Haruhi didn't need to see it. Whoever it was was coming closer. She could hear them now herself.

"We need to hide," Mei was saying. "In the closet would be good."

"But when he comes back, he'll see that I'm gone," Tamaki said frantically. His eyes were shining on them. He was going to cry again. "He'll search for me."

"We'll just have to run when he has his back turned," Kohaku said grimly.

"We won't make it," Haruhi whispered.

"We have no choice," Kohaku argued at her. Her hands were shaking, and if she were anyone else, Haruhi would think her also close to tears. "H-he might have trouble with a moving target, especially if there's more than one and he hasn't got his gun out already. We will make it."

Haruhi looked around at everyone else, and saw that nobody was about to disagree with her, or pose a better plan. There was no better plan, that was why. It was either stay and wait for the man to find them and kill them, or run and have a chance at survival. The obvious choice was clear.

The steps were growing louder still, and it was now abundantly clear from the number and volume of them that the man was not alone. The five nodded at each other and headed single file to the closet, with Tamaki in the lead. He opened the door and then stood back, motioning for Mei to step inside. She opened her mouth to argue, but Tamaki raised a hand to her lips. His eyes said it all; he wasn't having any arguments. Mei went inside, tripping over her steps. Kohaku and Kasumi went in next and then Haruhi, who met Tamaki's gaze and hovered over the threshold. They couldn't look away from each other, even as the others hissed at them to get inside. Haruhi felt warmth on her lower back from Tamaki's hand as he ever so gently urged her to keep moving. Reluctantly, Haruhi tore her eyes away from him and went inside. He took one last look at the hallway outside. The steps echoed in Haruhi's ears and she wished he'd just shut the closet door already. When he did, he remained in front of them. He stretched his arms in and out, drawing labored breaths like he was trying to brace himself. The door, unfortunately for them, didn't have a lock on in, and the frame itself wasn't ever strong enough to keep the door fully closed. A sliver of light came through the tiny open space, and with it came the approaching footsteps. They would be right outside by now. The time was upon them.

"Get ready to run," Kohaku said.

Somebody whimpered, and Haruhi couldn't say for sure that it was Mei this time. She felt like screaming herself. She reached for someone's hand, not caring whose she found and grabbed onto to. The one she got was bigger than hers, with longer, slender fingers, and she knew right away that it wasn't female. It was just as well.

The footsteps were right outside the door now. She could see shadows growing on the opposite wall. Haruhi closed her eyes and counted.

One…

Two…

Three…

Another five people walked into the room.

"Hey Okada!" Ichirou screamed through cupped hands. "You in here? Okadaaaa?"

The five of them, all together, let out a single, long breath.

Meanwhile, outside, Oshiro looked around the room half heartedly. "I don't think they're here either."

Tamaki threw open the door.

Ichirou and Oshiro jumped, while Kurosawa, Sato and Mutou just looked up. Kurosawa alone raised a hand in greeting.

"There you are, we've been looking for you," he said.

"What are you guys doing in here?!" Tamaki shouted, heedless of what had just been said.

"What are we doing?" Ichirou said indignantly. "What are you guys doing in that closet?"

"Please don't tell me you're playing Seven Minutes in Heaven," Sato piped in.

While Tamaki became faint with embarrassment and Mei, Kasumi and Kohaku fumbled over their words trying to come up with a good cover story, Haruhi's attention was diverted to another growing shadow, one far more sinister than those of their friends. A gun was cocked. Everyone went silent.

"Yes, I'm wondering myself what he's doing."

Tamaki had already seen him. Haruhi knew that when his hand on her shoulder tightened and he gasped. The rest all looked up or turned around. The man stood in the doorway, leaning against it like he hadn't a care in the world. He wore a deep frown, though he showed no emotion. The gun was out and ready in his hands. When she saw it, Oshiro screamed and sank back into Kurosawa's arms. He held her tight and turned slightly to shield her. Sato grabbed Ichirou's hand, or perhaps Ichriou took Sato's, and Mutou just stared at the man, back away slowly and trying to keep his face as even as the man's.

"Hey man, I don't know who you are or what your deal is," he said, putting his hands up. "But we're just kids, and this is a school. You're gonna get in a lot of trouble."

The man snorted. "Please, I've killed kids before. It's all part of the job."

He brought the gun up and aim, first at Mutou, who defiantly kept his head up, even as his forehead glistened with sweat. He then moved to Kurosawa and Oshiro. Kurosawa glared hatefully at the man, but said nothing as Oshiro watched him fearfully out the corner of her eye. The man moved the gun back and forth, seeming to enjoy the terror he inspired in them. He continued to toy with them until it no longer appealed, and then the gun found home, right at Tamaki's forehead.

"I specifically recall tying you up, Suoh," he said. "Don't tell me you got out on your own."

Kasumi swallowed.

"Hey," Kurosawa said, speaking now for the first time. "What did you call him? His name's Okada, not Suoh."

Oshiro, though shaking badly, lifted her head a little and didn't let Kurosawa push it back down. "I think you have the wrong person."

The man chuckled, and kept the gun trained on Tamaki.

"Oh no, I'm in the right place, alright. I've been hunting down Tamaki Suoh here for months. You kids are familiar with the Suoh family, right?"

Tamaki closed his eyes and Haruhi felt a rush of misery for him. Everything was falling apart now, even if they survived.

"You can't be serious," Ichirou said softly. When he spoke next, it was somehow louder. "This is ridiculous. It's crazy. Okada, tell this guy who you are."

"Ichirou, _shut up_," Mei hissed at him.

"No."

All eyes went to Tamaki. His head was bent, but his shoulders raised, and when he picked his head up, he looked stronger than Haruhi had ever seen him. Stronger, and much more sad.

"This man… he's telling the truth," he said, and his voice never wavered. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I am Tamaki Suoh of the Suoh family."

Everyone gasped.

"Okada-kun?" Oshiro looked at him like she'd never seen anything like him.

"You're telling me you've been one of those filthy rich trust fund kids all this time?" Sato demanded.

"You could've footed the bill for the new stage lights and you never told me!" Ichirou screeched.

Oshiro scowled at him. Ichirou raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh sure, like _you're_ not thinking it too."

"Okay, this is all very sweet," the man said, looking bored. "But Suoh and I need to be off now. Have to deliver you to Kusakabe by dawn."

He smirked when Tamaki shrunk back. It seemed to amuse him even more when Kurosawa and his friends all turned to face him, standing together at the shoulders to form a wall between the man and Tamaki. Oshiro had been pushed behind Kurosawa, but she had her back to Haruhi and the rest, and Haruhi could only imagine she was glaring at the man with the same intensity as the guys had to be.

"Wait, don't tell me," the man said, easily pointing the gun in their direction. "You're going to make me go through you to get to Suoh. You really like him that much?"

"Well, we're not just going to let you take him," Kurosawa said.

"Not without a fight." Mutou slammed his fists together to further make his point.

The man flashed a grin, his white teeth gleamed with malice. If it was getting to anyone else the way it got to Haruhi, they didn't make it known. Only Tamaki was making any sort of movement right now, the rest were frozen in time. Mei was clutching Tamaki's sleeve in a suffocating grip, while Kohaku did the same to her. Kasumi was on her own to Haruhi's left, and her death stare was in full view. The boys didn't break rank, even as the man enjoyed placing the gun inches above each of their foreheads in turn, mimicking the sound of a gunshot under his breath. Tamaki beside her is shaking, and with fear or anger or both, Haruhi couldn't say. Her hands are feeling colder, and she wants so badly to be holding his again.

Then Tamaki moved.

"Don't," he said, breaking through the tension with just a word.

All eyes are on him, including those of his potential killer. The man lowered the gun to his side as Tamaki came closer, hands in the air. He reached the wall of Kurosawa and his friends.

"Let me through, Gentlemen."

"Are you crazy?" Kurosawa snapped at him. Tamaki didn't falter.

"We're not giving you up to this guy," Sato said.

Mutou nodded in agreement. "Just stay back and let us handle this."

Haruhi had to admit, their dedication was sweet. She could hardly believe these same three guys were once ready to bash Tamaki's head in themselves, and now, here they were, defending his life. All because he helped them once.

"Everyone," Tamaki said. "Please don't. Thank you… but I don't want to run anymore. I don't want to get my friends involved in my problems."

"Okada-" Kurosawa started to say, then he caught himself. "Suoh- _whatever_, in case you haven't noticed, we're already pretty involved."

He motioned back and forth at themselves and the man with the gun. Tamaki was unperturbed.

"I know, that's why I'd like to end this now before it gets worse."

He looked over Kurosawa's shoulder at the man, who watched expectantly, just waiting for Tamaki to say the word.

"Sir, if you promise not to hurt my friends… I'll come with you."

Like they had all been holding their breath, everyone let the air out at once. Oshiro looked pleadingly at Tamaki, her mouth open wordlessly. Haruhi didn't blame her, she wanted to say something just as bad, and probably had just as many thoughts raging through her mind, never to be let out. The next few seconds happened in a flash. The man grinned, then jutted a man through Kurosawa and Sato's defense and pulled Tamaki through. He moved so fast, neither Kurosawa nor Sato could stop him. It was like he could have always done it, and this was all just another game to him.

The man wrapped an arm around Tamaki, a phone in his hand Haruhi noticed for the first time. How long had he had that out?

"Good, Suoh. You're doing the smart thing for once," he said soothingly in Tamaki's ear.

Tamaki refused to look at him, instead staring out the window. Haruhi heard more footsteps outside now, hard like the ones they belonged to were wearing heavy boots. Haruhi felt the dread rising up again.

Four men came to stand in the doorway. They wore black like their leader and they were all tall and probably built like wrestlers underneath the layers of clothing. The man who held Tamaki snapped his fingers at them.

"About time you got here," he sniffed. "These kids are Suoh's personal bodyguards. See to it that they're kept out of the way until Suoh and I are off the premises."

"Yes, Sir!" the four men said as one.

They each pulled out guns far bigger and scarier looking than the one Tamaki's captor held. Any resistance Kurosawa and his friends might have put up was squashed before any of them could so much as ball a fist.

"Excellent! Let's see if you four can do something right for a change."

The man dragged Tamaki along to the door. Though he put up no resistance, Tamaki didn't exactly keep up the pace with the man. His sorrowful gaze panned the room, stopping at Haruhi as their eyes locked. Haruhi thought his brown eyes may have been shining, or maybe that was just her.

"Say goodbye to your little friends, Suoh," the man said cheerfully. "This is the last time you're ever going to see them."

The door slammed shut.

* * *

><p>In the basement of the school, the fifth member of the Suoh Recovery Team (as it had been affectionately dubbed), paced along from the boiler to the stairs leading to the door. He had his favorite old gun in his hands and the crumbled mass he was guarding hadn't stirred yet. His cell phone in his pocket felt heavy. He wished he'd get the all clear call soon so he could get out of hear. This room was really hot and the fire bothered him. He'd never liked fire. He also didn't like messing up. His far greater dislike of the latter was all that had kept him from bolting long ago.<p>

What did he even need to do this for? The guy was out cold and not even remotely a threat. He was walking away from him now, but he'd turn around at the stairs and look at the pile of spare car parts that the schools' mechanics class probably used and find-

Nothing.

The man stopped. His hands went slack and he almost dropped the gun. He caught it just in time and dumbly pointed it at the space his directive had been occupying. Something like breathing sounded behind him. The man whirled around just in time to see an enraged, bruised face before the gun was wrenched from his hands and a fist connected with his face, and the lights went out.

When the pitiful excuse for an assassin crumpled to the floor, Katsuo-san sneered at him. Through the pain of his headache, he gave a cursory glance at the weapon he'd 'confiscated.' He barked a laugh.

"Still had the safety on."

He clicked it off.

"Moron."

He wasted little time in handcuffing the man to the metal railing of the stairs. With a mental note to have someone come and get him when this was all over, Katsuo-san made his way upstairs. He had the man's gun in one hand, his own in the other.

Now, to find Tamaki…

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Only three chapters to go!**

**Are you excited?**

**Huh?**

**Are you?**


	12. Fight Club

The party must have ended somewhere in the last half hour. If not that, then it had evolved into a fantastic spectacle of hypnotically entrancing proportions. Either way, there was no one around as Tamaki walked with his captor's gun grazing the back of his neck. The few times he dared look back, the man's finger was in place on the trigger, ready at a moment's notice. Despite this, he seemed more interested in staring at his cell phone than keeping Tamaki threatened into submission. A most reckless and stupid thought had crossed Tamaki's mind, that he could break into a run and get away if the man was distracted long enough. Thing was, he wouldn't be.

Several times now, Tamaki heard a mechanized voice coming out of the phone. He was pretty sure he'd been walked in a big circle around the main hallway twice as the man tried to connect to whatever accomplices he might have. The man grunted angrily.

"Where is that bastard," he said venomously.

He wrapped at arm around Tamaki's waist, almost making him trip. He then pulled him to a partially opened door and kicked it open. The inside was dark and dank and smelled terribly of mop water.

"Get in there," the man said, tossing Tamaki down on the ground. He landed on his shoulder, which went numb for a few moments before the pain seeped in. "Don't even think about leaving. I'll be right outside this door, and you'll be dead before you can take one step."

"What about my friends?" Tamaki asked as he massaged his aching side. "You promised you'd leave them alone."

"As long as you cooperate, they'll be fine," the man said silkily. "Or maybe they won't, doesn't matter. It's not _your_ problem anymore."

He closed the door with a resounding click, worse now for Tamaki than the click of his gun.

Walking away with quiet steps, the man dialed a new number on his phone, which he had also lowered the volume on.

"You have all those kids wrangled up?"

"Yes sir. Everything is secured and we're awaited your orders."

"Excellent," he answered. At least _one_ thing was going right. "Once I get a hold of Kusakabe and get coordinates to the rendezvous point, I'll get back in touch. Radio silence until then, understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good, and keep those kids under control. Anyone tries to run, and you know what to do."

"I read you loud and clear, Sir."

* * *

><p>Haruhi sat in the middle of her friends and upperclassmen. They had been marched at gun point back to the empty auditorium. The audience must have left ages ago. The only other living creature she had seen was a mouse scurrying along the wall into the shadows. On the way, they had passed the hall that led to the gymnasium. Listening carefully, Haruhi could have heard the blaring music. Neither she nor anyone else was eager to try and make a break for it. She was sure she wasn't the only one who thought about it, though.<p>

They were away from the main seating area, in a space with only a small cluster of seats. Just enough for the nine of them to sit comfortably, and with just enough separation from the other seats and the wall for the men to circle them. The one in the corner had just shut off his cell phone. He'd been speaking in hushed tones, and Haruhi couldn't make out his words. She doubted it was anything good, especially when he walked back over, and flashed a cruel smile as he addressed his comrades.

"You know what do to," he said, and they all nodded.

Haruhi swallowed and raised her head. There was a piece of hair over her face that tickled her cheeks. She brushed it away slowly, not knowing how they'd react to sudden movements. No matter where she looked, that shining black metal was somehow always in her peripheral.

Beside her, Mei was being eerily quiet. This put her at a stark contrast with Kohaku, on the end seat to her left, who couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut.

"It's because of shoddy laws that this is allowed to happen. If someone competent was in the Prime Minister's chair, this never would've happened. All of these jokers would be behind bars!"

At least she was smart enough to whisper yell everything.

"Would you knock it off," Kurosawa, who sat directly behind Kohaku, snapped in her ear. "Or do you want them to hear you?"

"I could say the same thing about you," Kohaku returned.

"Both of you, _please_," Oshiro whispered. She placed one small hand on Kurosawa's bulky shoulder. Her pleading, tear stained eyes found Kurosawa's, and he shrunk back. "Just leave it, Arata-kun. Don't encourage her."

Kurosawa made a sheepish sound and leaned back in his chair, grasping Oshiro's hand and stroking it soothingly.

"Okay, Akiko-chan, I'm sorry."

He leaned over so their foreheads lightly touched. Amid everything, Haruhi couldn't help but be warmed by their obvious affection, but she appeared to be alone in that sentiment.

"Oh sure," Kohaku haughtily muttered. "Act like I'm the problem."

'_You're the one who won't stop talking,' _Haruhi thought.

She was sitting in the second of three rows. Kasumi was on Mei's opposite side, eyeing the man closest to her. Oshiro and Kurosawa behind her were joined by Kurosawa's friend Mutou, who was looking down at his twitching fingers and occasionally glancing up when they passed, like he was waiting for the right moment to start clawing their eyes out. Ichirou and Kurosawa's other friend Sato were in front. In the space between the two seats, Haruhi could see their fingers intertwined. Her mind produced an image of Tamaki and how warmed he would be by the sight. Or how much he would like the way Kurosawa and Oshiro were comforting each other. And then she thought about his face when he gave himself up and that man took him away. The fear in his eyes.

She felt Mei's hand on her shoulder, but didn't look her way.

"Hey," she said, oddly soothing in tone. "Come on. Don't be making that face, Haruhi. W-we'll all be okay. Suoh too!"

She squeezed, perhaps without meaning to, as a tiny sob emitted from her lips. It was so soft and choked, and clearly Mei had been trying to hold it back. Haruhi chose not to ask what kind of face she was making- she hardly wanted to know- and took the offered hand. She held tight, taking comfort in her best friend's presence and giving it back in return where she could. When she couldn't think of a response that didn't already sound fake and inconsequential in her head, she squeezed harder. Mei seemed to get the message.

It appeared the cat had only gotten Haruhi's tongue, because Ichirou appeared to have plenty to say. Even Kohaku quieted down to listen.

"I-It's not fair," Ichirou sobbed into his hands. "All I wanted was to put on the best show I could and be remembered forever as the best playwright slash director this school has ever seen. And now I'm going to be killed! Why me? Why me, God? Have I asked too much of you?"

He then switched from his hands to Sato's coat sleeve, creating a growing wet spot of tears and snot. Sato was stiff and shaking, but Haruhi had a feeling it wasn't in anger.

"Ugh, what is with him?" Mei said incredulously. "He _does_ know this isn't about him, right?"

Sato rubbed Ichirou's back with some difficulty. Haruhi couldn't tell with his back to her, but he might have been sweating. He muttered something that sounded like 'it'll be okay,' but Haruhi couldn't be sure. Neither could anyone else.

"Hey," one of the men shouted their way. "Tell that idiot to keep quiet or else."

"Relax, Ichirou. Please relax," Sato said audibly.

Ichirou lifted his tear stained face, waited a beat, then launched himself up and kissed Sato square on the lips. Someone behind Haruhi choked, either Kurosawa or Mutou, but possibly both.

"Oh, Sato-kun," Ichirou cried into the front of the coat this time. Sato was neither trying to stop him nor pulling him closer anymore. He appeared to have lost the ability to move his arms or close his mouth. "You're the only one I can talk to around here. No one else understands my pain."

"Alright, that's it," the man said, gun aloft. He stalked to the group, unperturbed by their sinking back into their seats and clutching the person closest to them, either for protection or support. His partners did nothing to obstruct his path. Why would they? This was 'what to do' after all.

Ichirou's face was still buried away and Sato was clinging to him. He cried harder as they were approached.

"No one understands your pain, huh?" the man said mockingly. "Ever been shot in the head?"

Ichirou then wrenched himself away from the unprepared Sato, grabbed the barrel of the gun with his finger jammed in the trigger and soundly swung his foot up in between the man's legs. With a groan, the man fell, hands slipping from the gun. Those who weren't too in awe of what they'd just seen winced in sympathy pain.

"HaHA!" Ichirou swung the gun wildly at the other men, who fumbled for their weapons. "No one knows pain better than an actor, my friend. You know how many lives we live?"

He kicked the man aside when he made to stand up again.

"Man, that's hot," Sato muttered.

"Ichirou, be careful with that thing!" Mei shouted, standing up. "Do you even know how to use it?"

Ichirou sniffed. "Oh, please, you are looking at a gun expert right here, no thanks for saving your sorry asses by the way!"

He aimed straight for the head of the man in the middle, who had been the phone on the phone with the man in charge of all this before and appeared to be the one in charge of the operation when he wasn't around. Haruhi watched with baited breath and a heart beating in her ears like everyone else, but somehow, she was aware enough of the shadow on the wall behind the men, who tip-toed up the stairs onto the stage and disappeared behind the curtains. She looked down and Kohaku's seat was empty.

"Alright, you big, fat, badly dressed little Punkasses. If you think you can come to this school, sabotage my drama club, kidnap me and my stage crew and then lock us all up in the cheap seats, you've got another thing coming."

"Put it down," the man in the middle said. "Put it down, _right now_, Kid."

"Ichirou, maybe you should put it down," Kasumi whispered.

Ichirou's head snapped to her. "Why would I do that?"

"You don't know how to use that thing!"

"Yes, I do!"

"_Yes you do- _you're holding it wrong!"

Ichirou blinked and looked at the gun, and his hands several inches away from the trigger.

"I am?"

And then lights went off.

Haruhi blinked, not right away processing the darkness. Someone shouted intelligibly and then several pairs of feet rushed by her. A hand on her arm pulled her up and out of the aisle. Another shout, followed by a thump, and Haruhi looked up. The door on the wall allowed an outline of light through, the only source that could be found anymore. It wasn't enough for her to see who was pulling her, but she had a few ideas.

"Kohaku, you are either completely insane or completely brilliant," Mei was saying. "We need to get out of here."

She let Haruhi go when they were flat against the wall. She inched towards the door, getting close enough that she was partially visible. Haruhi locked eyes with her and followed. There were many more thumps and grunts and one of the man trying to give orders but never getting the words out.

"What's happening?" Haruhi asked when someone else shouted.

"Hopefully, something good," Mei answered. They were halfway to the door by now. "I'm just glad no one's been shot-"

A gun went off. Haruhi shrieked and dove for the floor, Mei not far behind. The door was thrown open, allowing the light to stream in. Haruhi opened her eyes, but kept down. Someone was sprawled on the floor, their arms jutting out from behind some seats. Haruhi's fear swelled and faded in the same second, when it became clear that the black leather sleeves did not belong to any of her friends. Kurosawa and another of the men tumbled into view. They were grappling with each other. Kurosawa had a bloodied nose and responded to the man's attempt at putting him in a headlock by biting his ear and punching him.

Haruhi struggled to her feet, handed over her head as meager protection. No one she could see was armed, though Ichirou was smacking another one with the butt of his gun. The other two men were on the stage, being dealt with by Sato and Mutou. Kasumi and Kohaku were by the door, arguing heatedly about something, probably if they should run or not.

"What now?" Mei asked.

Haruhi shook her head, feeling both hopeless and useless in her lack of fighting ability. Sato and Mutou appeared to be having trouble. They held their own well and would liely have won already, if this were just a regular street fight. These men were trained, though. That any of them had managed what they had so far was something of a miracle. Haruhi wouldn't question it, but she knew it wasn't enough. Kurosawa was running to help them now, having finished with his opponent, and Ichirou had finally decided to stop fooling around and cracked the gun over the head of his. Neither was moving, and Haruhi brushed them aside in her mind. On stage, it was three against one. Oshiro was on the other end of the stage, hidden behind some tarp with her face sticking out so she could watch. Haruhi couldn't see her face well, though, with all the ropes in the way.

The ropes…

Haruhi gasped. "That's it!"

"What?" Mei asked.

Haruhi had no time to answer. She just grabbed Mei and dragged her along now, all the way to the other side of the room. Away from the door and over their unconscious captors. Mei tried again to get answers over all the yelling, and Haruhi heard her fine, but again she said not a word.

They climbed onto the stage, Haruhi taking two steps at a time. When she got to the ropes and started on the knots, Mei finally got the picture. She let an elongated 'oh' escape her lips as she bent down to help her.

"Find the end first," she said.

"I know," Haruhi snapped, sounding a bit more forceful than she'd intended.

On the other side of the stage, Kasumi spotted them. Immeidately getting the idea, she ran for the knot on her end and easily undid it in the time it took Mei and Haruhi to find the end of theirs. Haruhi took slow, deep breaths, her frantic heartbeat decreasing only a little from the effort. She needed to keep calm and not rush if she wanted this done right. Mei seemed to be having similar troubles. Her fingers were cold and clammy whenever they brushed against Haruhi's in their work. When they finished, they gripped the rope tight. Kasumi and Kohaku had the other end, and waited for Haruhi to give them the okay to let go. It was as heavy as she remembered. If it wasn't for Mei- and then Oshiro- holding on with her, she might have gone flying into the air by now.

With her all strength Haruhi held on, and caught Kurosawa's gaze as he fought to keep his balance against the man trying to push him down. Haruhi gestured upwards with her head. Kurosawa furrowed his brow, then nodded once and looked away. Haruhi motioned at Kasumi and Kohaku.

'_Get ready.'_

She held up three fingers, and mouthed the countdown as she put down one finger at a time.

'_Three…'_

Kurosawa looked at her again.

_'Two…'_

Mutou gave a mighty heave and pushed his guy back into the center, his own body crashing against the wall.

_'One…'_

Kurosawa did the same, adding a punch for good measure, and taking Sato with him. The two men were now alone in the center, clumsy on their feet and clearly disoriented from a fight they probably thought they would win easily.

"NOW!"

They all let go. The ropes zinged into the air and through the metal loops up above. The backdrop fell like a ton of bricks, landing square on the men who crumpled beneath it's weight with little more than an 'oomph'. Haruhi's hands were burning, but inside her chest was swelling. Kasumi and Kohaku cheered and high fived each other while Kurosawa ran over and hugged Akiko to him.

"Whoo! That was awesome!" Mei cheered.

"Yeah, we kicked their asses," Mutou said, punching the air.

"You couldn't have done anything without us, you know," Kohaku yelled over. "You were losing before we helped you out."

"We were _not_ losing," Mutou shouted back.

"Way to kill the lights, Kohaku," Ichirou said, climbing up onto the stage to join the rest.

"Way to fake that guy out," Kohaku answered with a grin. "Were those real tears?"

"Pft. Don't insult me."

"Oooooh…"

A hush fell over the group. All heads turned to the man Ichirou had beaten. He was bleeding from the forehead and his face was covered in welts and bruises. He rolled over onto his back, groaning anew. Then he relaxed again and his head lolled to the side. He was out cold.

A collective breath was released and one or two people giggled.

"I think we'd better get out of here and find Tamaki," Kasumi said.

Everyone murmured their agreement and started for the door. Haruhi found herself ahead of all of them, which was strange since she was standing the farthest from the door a few seconds ago. She didn't slow down even after realizing. Mei, Kasumi and Kohaku might have had to run a little to keep up with her and get beside her.

"By the way," Oshiro asked quietly. "There was a gunshot earlier. Nobody was hurt right."

She stopped walking, which caused a chain reaction in which Kurosawa stopped, then Sato, Mutou and Ichiro, and then Haruhi had to stop when she realized everyone else was about to get left behind. She looked at all of them, their clothes clean of all but dirt, and then down at herself, even though she knew she hadn't been hit by any bullets thus far. It seemed that nobody had gotten hit, from Oshiro with her hands wringing her dress shirt, to Ichirou, still holding onto that gun of his.

Pretty soon, everyone was looking accusingly at Ichirou, and the shorter boy coughed nervously.

"Okay, I think it might have misfired or something… what's with the looks?"

"'Gun expert…'" Kasumi said acidly.

"What a load," Kohaku said.

"At least it wasn't any of them!"

Ichirou pointed at the unconscious men in the audience. It was then Haruhi noticed the rest of their weaponry, strewn about the spot they'd all been standing on when the lights went off. Haruhi got another mental image now, this one of Kurosawa and his friends, rushing them the moment darkness hit, knocking away their guns and rendering it a fair fight. She'd have to ask later exactly what happened, but she'd put her money on that being an accurate picture.

"Enough talking, Guys," Kurosawa said. "We're not done yet. We need to track down Okada before that asshole gets away. He's got _a lot _of explaining to do."

Mutou and Sato stopped to kick all the guns under the stage as far as they could, and then they all filed out into the hall, thankful for light, the freedom, their lives and the chance to save their friend.

* * *

><p>Tamaki rocked back and forth on the floor. The cramped space offered barely any room and whenever he leaned back, either a broom or a mop handle dug into his shoulder blade painfully. One eye was tearing up a little, but he didn't feel like crying. As scared as he was, he couldn't bring himself to.<p>

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen…" he sang along to the words in his head. It was a song his mother taught him when he was a boy. She'd meant it to cheer him up during hard times, funnily enough. "Nobody knows my sorrow…"

He slowed to a stop, and then a mop head fall from the shelf, bounced off his head and landed in his lap. Tamaki's head fell back against the splintered wood and he moaned.

"What am I going to do now?" he thought aloud. "That man said nobody would get hurt, but what if he's lying? It'll be all my fault if they die!"

'_You did what you had to do,' _he told himself internally. _'At least they have a better chance this way, right?'_

"I don't know."

Tamaki stood up. There was no room for him to take even a step, but his legs were falling asleep and this was better than nothing.

"There has to be a way out of this," he said, bringing a hand to his chin. "He said he would be standing right outside if I tried to escape. What if he's lying? He must have had some reason for locking me in here. Why not just take me away already to Kusakabe."

Tamaki pressed his ear against the door. It may have been solid, but it didn't look that heavy, and it was clearly very old. He couldn't hear a thing on the other side. It could have just been that he was wrong and the door really was sound proof, but his gut said different. To get a better idea, he crouched down. The floor was covered in bits of dirt and wood, making Tamaki cringe. He swallowed back his disgust. Commoners probably did things like this all the time and they were just fine.

Holding his breath, Tamaki got down as far as he could, until his cheek rested on the floor. The position was terribly uncomfortable. If he made it out of this alive, he fully intended to send a sternly worded letter to the school board regarding the unsatisfactory size of their utility closets. Out the crack under the door, there were no shadows. Not a single sole of a shoe could be found. Tamaki looked every which way, his eyes straining to get at the very edges. There was nothing.

In his excitement, Tamaki forgot about the lack of space to get back up and stepped on that broom handle. He yelped and fell on his face. A bucket crashed down on his behind, and he had to shake it off. He tried again to stand, much slower and more careful, and noting in the back of his mind the lack of reaction outside to the noise he was making. Surely that man would have said something if he was really there, threatened to shot him again if he didn't keep quiet.

"So then it _was_ a bluff," he said triumphantly. "I can get out whenever I want."

With a quick laugh, Tamaki grasped the doorknob and turned. When it refused to budge his stomach dropped.

"Oh right, the door is locked."

Tamaki fell against the door and began to slip downwards.

"This is worse than the time Sato locked me in here… wait."

Tamaki looked up again. He looked all around the closet and the brooms and the dust pans and the cleaning supplies. Even at the hanging light bulb with the cord dangling from it.

"This _is _the closet Sato locked us in, isn't it?"

Eyes widening in his recognition, Tamaki loomed over the door knob, turning it furiously.

"Oh, what was it he said? Two turns right? Four turns left?"

He tried both and failed both times.

"Come on, come on, think!"

He tried three more turns to the right, then spun it all the way back to the left.

And there came a click.

Tamaki froze, not removing his hand but not daring to try and push the door open. He turned it a little more left, to the point where it couldn't be turned anymore. His hand moved involuntarily, allowing a sliver of light from outside in. Breathing deeply, Tamaki opened the door a little more, far enough that his whole head could stick out. He half expected the man's face to pop into the empty space before him, face bulging red with anger and the barrel of his gun at Tamaki's nose.

"Do I dare go out there?" he asked himself.

If he expected an answer, it would've been something a little more concrete than a mish mash of voices in the distance. But that alone was enough, when the voices got closer and someone very familiar spoke up.

"I think he would've gone this way. It's closer to the back entrance."

Haruhi…

Tamaki burst through the door. Fluorescent light smacked him in the face, but he hadn't the time to wait for his eyes to adjust. Neon blobs floated in his vision.

The voices grew louder, coming from one entrance on the side that he sharply turned at. He fought not to call out to them. If that man was still around, he couldn't draw attention to himself. He followed Haruhi's voice, mixed in with the rest, and yet clear as a bell to his ears.

She was the first one he saw. Her back to him, and her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders. It looked messier than usual, and her clothes were ruffled like she'd been in a fight. She wasn't alone in that either. Kurosawa, Sato and Mutou had it the worst, along with some bruising on their faces and knuckles. They all looked like that had been through hell, but they were all there, alive and in one peace.

Tamaki choked on a cry of relief and ran to them. Mei saw him first.

"Look, there he is!" She shouted and pointed.

Tamaki stopped just in time for her to pull him into a bone crushing hug, one Kasumi, Kohaku and Oshiro were quick to get in on. Kurosawa ruffled his hair in a friendly manner while Sato and Mutou rubbed his shoulder. Haruhi remained in place, right where Tamaki could see her. That she wasn't in the group hug didn't matter much when he saw the way she looked at him. Her face so bright and beautiful, hands cupped in front of her. Tamaki returned her gentle smile. It said it all for her.

"You actually made it out?" Mei was saying. "Way to go and ruin our bold rescue attempt, Suoh."

"My apologies, Mei," Tamaki answered between laughs. He noticed some shining metal out the corner of his eye and paled a little. "Guys, why does Ichirou have a gun?"

Ichirou glanced down, and looked at the gun with blinking eyes, like he'd completely forgotten that he was holding it.

"Oh, I stole it off one of those goons," Ichirou said cockily. "They didn't even see it coming."

"Yeah, you did good, Ichirou," Kohaku said, narrowing her eyes. "But don't you think it's time to let go of that thing before you do something stupid with it again?"

Ichirou huffed like he'd been insulted.

"Ichirou…" Kohaku said warningly.

"Ah, not to butt in," Tamaki said, with a raised hand. "But I have to agree with Kohaku. Why don't you let me hold it?"

"Oh what, do _you _know how to fire a gun?"

"Well, actually-"

**_ka-chk_**

That was fast becoming Tamaki's least favorite sound ever. Everyone went white in the face, and the echoing footsteps and clicking of a tongue meant he didn't even need to turn around. He cursed himself for letting them all linger. They could've been halfway down the street by now if he had only-

"Suoh," the man's voice was as harsh as the steps he took closer. "I thought I told you not to try and run."

The man still had his phone out, clamped between the gun and his hand. His trigger finger was itching. Tamaki felt someone take hold of his hands on either side and Kurosawa step up.

"Oh, don't tell me you're going to try the human shield thing again," the man said impatiently. "I don't know how you kids managed to get past my men, but you're about to wish you hadn't."

"Tough talk for a guy whose outnumbered," Sato said. He nodded at Ichirou, who draped the gun over his shoulder.

"We're not so outgunned this time either," he said loudly.

Kasumi hissed at him. "Ichirou, you still don't know how to use that thing."

"What is it with you guys and antagonizing people with guns?" Mei said through gritted teeth.

"Quit trying to be brave," the man shouted. "How about being smart for once? Because I am just so close to killing every single one of you. You have no idea how much that would do for my mood."

The man grinned at them then, showing all his teeth which looked sharper than they should have. It was true that he seemed a lot less in control now than he had been. Tamaki didn't know what to make of it, except that maybe it had to do with all those calls he'd been trying to make. An optimistic little voice in his head dared to hope what was bad for the man was good news for him.

"You can't shoot us," Haruhi said, speaking up now for the first time. She seemed just as amazed that she had done it as Tamaki was. "Someone will hear it, especially if there's more than one. You'll get caught."

The man threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah? Who?"

He made a large, sweeping gesture at the empty area, from the silent halls to the blackness outside the windows. Not even a street light could be seen.

"Wake up, there's no one here but us," the man said. "You tried and you failed. There's nowhere for you to go now."

What happened next was, for Tamaki, literally like the gates of heaven had opened up and shining it's holy light down on them. They were blessed with a whiteness that erased the dark, and revealed flashing red lights and at least twenty men lined up in a row, weapons raised and eyes on the man. In the center was a single man in a black suit, holding a megaphone.

"Put down your weapon now, and step away from the kids," he said.

"KATSUO-SAN!" Tamaki screamed.

"I always loved that guy, you know?" said Mei.

The man looked like a deer in headlights. His weapon hand had slipped, but he maintained hold on it. The group moved as one closer to the windows, and the door in the middle of them that would lead to safety.

"You- _you can't be serious,_" the man said, eyes going wild.

"You're done," Katsuo-san said with finality. "Kusakabe was arrested this morning. He told us all about you. There's nowhere left for you to go, the whole school is surrounded."

Up above on the roof, a pair of snipers appeared on all sides. Several more were in the trees and at least a couple waited behind the fences of neighboring houses. Suddenly, the man's single weapon seemed about as dangerous as a water gun.

"Come out quietly with your hands in the air. Don't be a fool, now. You are outgunned. I repeat. You are outgunned."

Something about that word must have been the fuse that light the bomb that was the man's sanity. He let out a horrible cry, like an injured animal looking to maul whatever was foolish enough to hurt it. From there, time seemed to speed up for Tamaki.

The man ran for them. Ichirou shrieked and dropped the gun in his fumbling. Kurosawa threw a punch that got the man in the ear, but didn't deter him. He didn't seem to care about Tamaki anymore, only about avoiding consequences for his crime. He grabbed the one closet to him, as far from Tamaki as could be. His heart stopped. Haruhi screamed as she was jerked against the man's chest and the barrel of the gun was pressed into her temple.

"Haruhi!"

Tamaki ran for them. The man spat at him venomously and backhanded him mid-step. Tamaki was thrown back, his face was burning. The blow had gotten him right between the eyes, knocking something loose.

"I'm not going to jail," the man said. "I WILL NOT GO TO JAIL. DON'T YOU COME NEAR ME!"

He wrapped his arm around Haruhi's neck, blocking her airway. He was so tall, her held her off the ground, her feet kicking the air uselessly.

"Put the girl down, now!" Katsuo-san yelled.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME! STAY AWAY! I'LL KILL HER!"

Tamaki rolled onto his side. His vision was blurry, something in the way that made him unable to blink. He rubbed frantically at his eyes, catching both the dislodged contact and the in place one. Without a single care, he ripped them both free and threw them aside.

He saw clear now. Clearer perhaps than he had in months.

He saw the man, crazed and a finger tug away from putting a bullet in Haruhi's brain. Haruhi, watching the gun out the corner of her eye, which shined with unshed tears. His friends, crowded together in fear for their friend, all either close to tears or ready to punch something in rage at their helplessness.

And the gun was there at Ichirou's feet.

The Katsuo-san shouting through the megaphone faded away. In Tamaki's mind, he could hear the Katsuo-san from that day in the shooting range.

_'You have to ask yourself… Why would you pull that trigger? What would be your reason? Who are you trying to protect?'_

Later on, he would remember it in flashes. He was running to Ichirou. He was grabbing the gun. He knew that it was loaded. He knew the safety was off. He held it like it was second nature to him, knowing that it probably was. And today, he was proud of it.

'_Who are you trying to protect?'_

"Back up!" the man kept shouting. "I swear to God, I'll shoot her!"

Tamaki's violet eyes flared.

"NO!"

**BANG**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, that was certainly dramatic.**

**One more chapter and an epilogue to go. I've had a lot of fun with this story and I hope you have too. Those of you who've been wondering when we're going to see more of the host club members will be especially fond of the next chapter. *wink***


	13. Farewell Club

**A/N: Just the epilogue to go now, guys! Thanks to everyone who followed this story from the beginning or are just starting to read now. I hope you've enjoyed and I'll see you when the epilogue is up. Love you guys! *hugs***

* * *

><p>"Well, Tamaki-san," Katsuo-san said as he finished looking Tamaki over for wounds and then threw him a towel. "I have to admit, I'm relieved."<p>

Tamaki caught the towel and draped it over his shoulders. He furrowed his brow.

"Relieved? Is that all?

The larger man shrugged. "I was afraid I wasn't getting through to you at any of our practice sessions. You still seemed like you'd be too afraid to even think about pointing a gun at an assailant. You really stepped up today. I'm proud of you."

Tamaki blinked his eyes rapidly. He doubted Katsuo-san would like it if he started to cry in front of him, not when they were having a discussion like this. He opened his mouth when it felt safe to thank you, but Katsuo-san cut him off with a sigh.

"I just wish we could have done a little more with that horrible aim of yours. You only just grazed the bastard's shoulder."

The man was currently handcuffed in the corner, being tended to by a paramedic while several policemen oversaw her progress. She had finished cleaning the wound and was now applying bandages. The man shot a deathly, yet impotent glare their way. Tamaki still couldn't stop the light shivering in his spine and looked away.

"Well, I may only speak for myself," Haruhi said as she walked over and sat down on the bench beside Tamaki. "But I think he did it perfectly."

Katsuo-san chuckled, the second happy sound he had made so far today, and probably in all the time Tamaki had known him. He'd be lying to himself if he said it wasn't freaking him out a little. Katsuo-san wasn't even scowling anymore. He looked at Tamaki _fondly_, of all things.

"I think in this case, I would have to agree."

He left to speak with the chief of police about removing the man from the premises, when all their friends, lead by a beaming Mei and Ichirou, run over to them.

"Hey, Pres!" Kohaku shouted to get their attention.

"You did it, Tamaki, you're a hero!" Mei said, looking like she might kiss him at any moment. She quirked up one eyebrow as she examined him, a small smile tugging on her lips. "Blue eyes, huh?"

Tamaki rubbed instinctively at his eyes. They still stung a little from before. "Yeah, he knocked out one of my contact lenses and I pulled out the other. It doesn't matter, I don't think I'll be needing them anymore.

"Good thing. This color suits you much better. Don't you think, Haruhi?"

He felt her go tense and looked down without thinking. Haruhi met his eyes for a moment, then looked away while shaking her head.

"She's never going to get over this," she said a little too loudly.

Tamaki wasn't bothered, at least not after he noticed the slight red twinging of her cheeks. He just hoped his weren't doing the same thing. He was lucky when Kurosawa gave a laugh and wrapped him in a one armed hug, pulling him away.

"Yeah, you did good today, my friend" Kurosawa said cheerfully, before his eyes narrowed. "But you've got a lot of explaining to do, _Suoh_."

He lightly pushed Tamaki away, so that he was turned around and facing the group, with only Haruhi at his side, silently waiting with the rest of them. Tamaki, though he could feel the scrutinizing gazes of half of them and sympathy from the other half, was unperturbed and just nodded.

"Oh, I know, don't you worry about that," he said. "Now that it's over, I have a lot to tell you guys."

* * *

><p>Tamaki turned on the water, checking it every couple of seconds until it was hot enough. He adjusted the knobs again to keep it at the right temperature and stepped inside. After all the insanity of the day, a hot shower was exactly what he needed. Already, he felt the tension lifting from his shoulders, like the water's healing effect was washing it all away. He ran the soap along his body first, getting that part over with quick. He may not have been quite as thorough as usual, but he was a little anxious.<p>

The shampoo and conditioner left out for him were not his usual ones, but rather specially made formula that did more than just washing. He rubbed it into his hair, getting it deep into the roots. His scalp felt rare when he was done, but in a good way, a cleansing way. He ran his hair under the water and the excess at his feet turned an oily black. He repeated the process as per the instructions before starting on the conditioner. When he was done, he shut off the water and toweled off, then secured it around his waist before stepping out. The room was full of steam, the air stuffy. He pulled open the door half an inch to get some fresh air in.

The mirror was so fogged up, Tamaki couldn't even see himself. Now, that wouldn't do.

With a smaller towel, Tamaki wiped off the mirror, created a large circle with which to see his reflection. He lowered the towel slowly, so that the first thing he would see was bright yellow.

"Hello, Tamaki Suoh. Good to have you back."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sometimes, I can't even believe this has really happened. I went to bed last night and had trouble sleeping. It's not new for me, it's just that this is the first time in a while that it's for a happy reason and not a sad one.<strong>_

_**I don't really know how things are going to go from here. I know I haven't been living as a commoner for that long, but it still feels like such a long time ago that I woke up every morning to a group of maids and a five star breakfast. It's going to be strange, going back to all that. I just hope the chefs will know how to make a good bento meal, and where to go to find more of that instant coffee.**_

_**I'll have to have them prepare a feast fits for kings for everyone. All of their favorite foods, which reminds me that I have to ask them all what they like. After what we've been through together, I think we deserve our own little celebration. Not just for surviving this ordeal, but for what good friends we've all become. **_

_**My mother used to tell me that bad things can often lead to good things, even if at first everything seems hopeless. I know now that she was right. I wouldn't trade what I have now for anything in the world.**_

_**I have a lot more to say, but it's late now, and I have to get my homework finished before I go to bed. **_

_**Tomorrow's a school day.**_

* * *

><p>"So, going back to your fancy mansion, huh Rich Boy?" Mutou said jokingly.<p>

Tamaki couldn't respond, the larger boy may have accidentally winded him a little. To the left, Sato was grinning.

"By the way, think you could loan me a couple yen?"

"Come on, you two, give him some space," Oshiro said.

"Yeah guys, knock it off," Kurosawa said as he pushed Sato off of Tamaki. Oshiro looked gratefully at him and he blushed slightly.

Sato snorted. "Not even a week and you're already whipped."

"I am not!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sato laughed at the fuming couple, at least until Ichirou came up and rapped him over the head with a pencil out of his pocket. Then Sato prepared to start yelling and cursing before realizing who it was, at which point he turned red himself and sheepishly apologized. Now it was Kurosawa's turn to laugh.

They were all scattered around the club room. All the official club members in the center, surrounded by their visitors, none of whom had much else to do now that the play was over and done with. The noise level threatened to raise above breaking level, but Tamaki couldn't say he was bothered. It sort of felt like life was finally happening all around him. The quiet was gone, and he liked it that way. He just wished Mei would stop trying to touch his head all the time and grinning like a cat.

"Blue eyes and blond hair?" she said after the third time. "You're as foreign as they come aren't you, Suoh?"

"No wonder your bodyguards made you wear that drabby color," Kohaku said over her daily newspaper. "You stick out like a sore thumb."

She flipped the paper back up, so that the headline screaming Kusakabe's downfall was in full sight.

"I like it," Kasumi said, shrugging when everyone turned to look at her. "It's a good look for him. It's the _right_ look. He's not the type who should try and change it."

Haruhi, who had again chosen silence, only nodded in agreement. Tamaki looked at her. They hadn't spoken to each other since the incident. He had tried several times to come up with a conversation starter when they saw each other in the halls or at lunch. Between his tied up tongue and the way everyone who had ever spoken to him even once was coming up to him to tell him how brave and cool he was and how much they loved his real look as opposed to his fake look, it had brought him nothing but trouble.

"By the way, Mei," he said, deciding to hold off on worrying about that until later, when there was nothing else to distract him. "I don't think I ever apologized to you."

Mei looked at him, confused. "Apologize for what?"

"For changing your club around so drastically. I know this isn't what you wanted, and so I want you to know that I'm sorry."

"Oh My God, _really_?"

She burst out laughing, leaving Tamaki perplexed and maybe a little scared. He had to wait for her to calm down a little, enough to sit herself down in the desk beside him.

"Suoh, listen, I know I've been giving you a hard time," she said. "But that's just because I was so pissed about getting my position swept out from under my feet. I mean, I wasn't even that late that many times… but that's beside the point."

Kasumi gave her a stern look, which Mei actually seemed to take to heart for once.

"Anyway, you've done a really good job running things. Way better than I ever could have." She struggled a little on the last part, though Tamaki didn't doubt that she meant it.

"Maybe next semester more kids'll join up," Kasumi suggested. "Personally, I wouldn't mind a few new faces."

"Yeah, but what would we do?" Kohaku asked. "The play's over and they won't be starting a new one any time soon."

"I think that as long as we have our fearless leader, we'll figure something out." Mei gave Tamaki a playful nudge as she spoke.

Tamaki nodded at the three of them, not sure what else he could say that would fully describe his bursting happiness. There was only one thing that could make everything perfect, and Tamaki got it when Haruhi scooted closer.

"I have to admit, I'm looking forward to what you come up with," she said.

Tamaki felt the strongest urge of his life, to grab her and hug the life out of her. He didn't think she would appreciate that in public, but for a moment, he wanted to forget about that and just go for it. He got as far as placing his hand over hers, and act already very forward of him, that had Haruhi's eyes wide in shock and himself ready to stammer an apology and Mei looking like she was about to get up on the desk and do a cheer.

That's when someone knocked at the door.

Everyone looked up from whatever they were doing. The door was wide open, the knock a mere courtesy by the impeccably dressed, middle aged man who stood there. Behind him was an equally well-groomed elderly woman in a kimono. While she remained standoffish, her disapproving gaze on the general state of the classroom, the man was up front and center.

"Pardon me, we don't wish to interrupt," he said.

Tamaki jumped to his feet.

"Father!" he cried. "Grandmother! You're here?!"

Yuzuru Suoh feigned offense as his son approached.

"Why so surprised, Son? Didn't you want to see me again?"

"Of course!" Tamaki said firmly. "But Katsuo-san said you weren't flying back in until tonight."

Yuzuru shrugged and flashed a sly smile. "Well, there was an earlier flight, so we figured, what were we waiting for?"

He winked at his son, rubbing the top of his head affectionately. As Tamaki tried to repair the damage to his meticulously styled hair (it was his first day without the dye, so he had put in extra effort to look good), Yuzuru cast an eye on Tamaki's friends. He strolled easily among them, as if trying to appear as nothing more than someone like them. He stopped in front of Haruhi, studying her carefully.

"Cute Brunette, I presume?"

Haruhi blinked. "Excuse me?"

"DAH- Father!" Tamaki snapped, speeding over before his father could do any serious damage. "This is Haruhi Fujioka, a dear friend of mine. Haruhi, this is my father."

Yuzuru offered her a bow and then a hand for her to shake.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to my boy."

Haruhi murmured a 'thank you' and a 'glad to meet you,' before Yuzuru went to meet and greet everyone else in the room. Tamaki hastily followed and introduced everyone else, keeping his Grandmother in the corner of his eye at all times. She hadn't moved away from the door since arriving, and it didn't seem like she'd be coming inside anytime soon. Knowing already her less than keen opinion of him, Tamaki could only hope their ordeal had been enough to at least warm her up to him a little. Surely knowing he almost died would affect her in some way.

While Yuzuru was shaking a rather enthusiastic Ichirou's hand ("I can see where Suoh gets his looks from."), Shizue cleared her throat. Her cough was soft, but purposeful and it radiated around the room.

"Alright, I think that's enough," she said coolly. "Tamaki, come. We'll be wasting no more time here."

"Ah, forgive me, Grandmother," Tamaki said respectfully. "But club doesn't end for another hour, so if it's alright with you-"

"It's not," she said. Tamaki felt like the temperature had dropped twenty degrees. "If I'm not being clear enough, you are leaving this school for good. Regardless of your current status in my family, I will not have you spend one more second in this hovel. Your paperwork is on it's way to Ouran Academy as we speak. You'll be transferred by the end of the week."

"What? Transferred?"

Tamaki looked at his father, whose smile had vanished. He couldn't make himself look and see how the rest were reacting. Their stunned silence was answer enough.

"Father," Tamaki started gently. He knew he'd have a much better chance going through him first. "Father, I'm sorry. I- I know that I was supposed to attend Ouran Academy. I was looking forward to it, really! But… the only reason I was so eager was because of all the friends I thought I would make. And Genkaku is nothing like Ouran, but I have friends now, and they're all right here! With your permission… I'd like to stay here, at Genkaku."

He heard sniffling behind him, and then Sato's voice as he whispered loudly at Ichirou to calm down. He could see his clubmates standing close, looking like they were about to cry themselves. Well, Mei did, at least.

Yuzuru looked like he didn't have a clue what to make of this, and Tamaki couldn't blame him. Halfway through his impassioned plea, he had remembered that his father was the principal of Ouran Academy. Hearing that his own son didn't want to attend his school must have hurt. It almost made Tamaki want to take it all back, but then he remembered everything else that was at stake, and he held firm. His father would understand, he had to.

He was already averting his eyes, letting loose a deep, long sigh before offering his son a smile that, while not as cheerful as before, held no sadness.

"You really feel strongly about this, don't you."

Tamaki waited quietly for him to say more.

"Well-"

"Absolutely not."

Tamaki jumped at looked up. Shizue's stone cold gaze bore into him from her place in the doorway. Tamaki couldn't believe he'd forgotten that she was still there.

"But, Grandmother-"

"In case you've forgotten, boy, you are not the heir to the Suoh family yet," she callously intoned. "You are, however, my recognized Grandson. Do you have any idea what our peers and business partners would think if they know a member of the Suoh family was studying at a third rate institution like this one? It is improper and an insult to our lineage. You will go to Ouran, or you will get on the next plane back to Paris. I shouldn't have to tell you what that would mean for you and your mother. The choice is yours."

She turned on a heel and shuffled off into the hall. Someone must have met her out there, because she could be heard ordering them to take her back to the car outside. For Tamaki, her fading voice went in one ear and out the other. Her warning was still pounding in his ears and rattling around in his brain. He barely even heard it when Mutou whistled.

"Man, what crawled up _her_ ass and died?"

There was a low muttering that couldn't be deciphered. Mei's shoulders were shaking with barely concealed anger as she went up to Tamaki, casually brushing his arm to get his attention.

"Much as I hate to give that meathead any credit, he's got a point. Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Don't worry, Pres, we won't let her take you," Kohaku said. It was clear the wheels in her head were already turning at a furious rate. "There must be some kind of rule in the school handbook that says she can't do this."

"I think only a parent or guardian can sign you out," said Kasumi.

"There we go! Your Dad here seems pretty cool about letting you stay. We just need to go to the office and tell them-"

"No."

Everything went still, and all eyes were on him looking shocked and incredulous and suddenly, Tamaki was having horrible flashbacks to when he'd given himself up to protect all of them. Only this time, he actually knew that the choice he was making was the right one. That it wasn't a happy one remained the same.

"I'm sorry everyone, I really am," he said. "I meant what I said before, I want to stay. It's just… when I came to Japan, it was for a reason. I have to fulfill that purpose, or everything we've been through will have been pointless."

He turned, unable to bare the sight of them anymore. There was still one in his line of sight, the last one he wanted to see right now. He shut is eyes as well, so that her big brown eyes were hidden from him.

"If my Grandmother says I'm to attend Ouran, then that's what I'll do."

He opened his eyes, made himself look at Mei.

"I guess I won't be here to make more plans for the club after all."

Mei tightened her more into a line. Whatever she wanted to say, she was desperate to hold it in.

Tamaki felt like his whole body was filled with ice, until something warm spread from his back.

"Son, I think you're making a wise decision," Yuzuru said. "I know it's not easy, but given time, you'll see…"

He paused for a moment, considering his next few words.

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think it is. You may not be able to see your friends every day, but the second mansion where you'll be staying can seem a little big and imposing sometimes, especially since you'll be living alone with the servants. Perhaps you'll want some company every now and then."

With that, Yuzuru gave another bow as to excuse himself and walk out the door. He stopped to remind Tamaki not to wait around for too long so his Grandmother wouldn't get impatient, and then he was gone. Tamaki kept his head down, deep in thought, while the room around him remained in silence. Anyone who wanted to say something was shushed. When Tamaki finally turned around, everyone was at rapt attention.

"Well, it's like my father said. It's not the same thing, but it's not like we never have any time after school to see each other.

"You know, Suoh, I for one have always wanted to see the inside of a mansion," Sato said out of nowhere.

"What kind of food have you got?" Mutou asked.

Oshiro, Ichirou and Mei glared at them while everyone else either groaned or laughed. Tamaki just rubbed at the back of his head, resting easily in his chair with a sigh. He heard the ticking of the clock, counting off second after second. Every tick was another second closer to walking out of here for the last time. He couldn't relax with that on his mind. He shouldn't be relaxing anyway; Grandmother was waiting for him.

He listened to all the voices around him and let their pleasant and happy tones ease his worries.

'_This is not the end,' _he told himself.

* * *

><p>Tamaki crossed the building to his locker, wanting to check one last time to make sure everything had been removed. He had left the club room just a few minutes ago after swearing high and low to everyone (but particularly Mei) that he would be right back. He hadn't thought anything of it, and then he saw a person waiting by his locker. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew who it was long before she pushed the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.<p>

Haruhi looked up when he started walking again, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall. She didn't speak a word of explanation, even when he was close enough that his surprised look was clear as day.

"Sorry," she said. " I wanted to take to you, just not with everyone else listening."

Tamaki nodded, though he could already hear is heart stopping and restarting again and again.

"Mostly, I wanted to thank you for saving me. I don't think I ever did."

"You don't need to," Tamaki told her.

Haruhi shook her head. "I've been trying not to think about it too much. My Dad was completely beside himself when I got home. Crying and hugging me and demanding to know what I was thinking getting involved in all this."

"It sounds like he really loves you," Tamaki observed.

"I sometimes wish he wouldn't be like that, but I understand it's because he's afraid he'll lose me like we lost my mother," Haruhi paused to close her eyes. She didn't look like she would cry, but Tamaki was prepared to wrap comforting arms around her if need be. "Even so… the truth is I would do it all again if I had to."

She spoke so resolutely, Tamaki was taken aback. That he would have done the same thing for her did little to change that.

"Haruhi-"

"Please, let me finish," she said softly, quickly. Too quickly. How long had she been letting this stew within her? "I want you to know that I will always be grateful to you for everything you've done. Not just that you saved my life."

She hesitated again, shifting to the side a little and accidentally brushing her hand against his with the movement.

"Sometimes, I don't realize just how grateful I really am," she said, looking down. "And then I think… maybe it's more than that, but I don't know what else it could be."

She stared up at him now, her eyes looking bigger than they were all of a sudden. They shined, again not with sadness, but with something else. It was like she was pleading with him to make sense of her emotions. Tamaki only wished he could, but even his own were becoming a mystery to him. Why did it all have to center on her?

"I- I understand."

Haruhi sucked on her lips, which had the additional effect of drawing Tamaki's attention to them. He'd never really noticed it before, but her lips were very small and pink. They weren't too thick, but they weren't all that thin either. She didn't wear any lipstick, so the color was completely natural. Weird as it may sound, and it definitely sounded weird and perverted in Tamaki's head, but they were just as cute as the rest of her. She had them slightly open now, very slightly. Tamaki's eyes shot back to hers before she could notice. A second later, she looked back up at him too. Her resolve was back.

"I don't want you to go."

And it was a simple admission, one Tamaki could fully get behind and had been thinking himself all day. He'd either heard it on everyone else's tongues or seen it in their eyes. Hearing it from Haruhi went straight through him. It killed all sense of proper judgment that he had.

He was as gentle as possible when he grabbed her shoulders. Her short statue meant he had to bend down low, but it was as unimportant to him as everything else that wasn't Haruhi and the little near pout she was making when his lips met hers. It lasted all of five second and went no deeper than that. Tamaki didn't move closer or away and neither did Haruhi. When it was over, Tamaki stood back up and let go. His inner voice was screaming up a storm of how stupid he was for doing some so reckless and how angry she must be beneath that startled surface. That voice didn't affect him the way it usually did. A calm had come over him, like the day he'd convinced Kurosawa to stop bullying people. He found that he didn't regret what he'd just done, and there was not a shadow of a doubt, when he saw her face afterwards, that she didn't regret letting him.

"I…" he started to say. "I do understand, because I've been feeling the same way. I think I have a better idea of it now."

It took some time, but eventually, Haruhi nodded. "Yeah, me too."

She glanced away for a moment, at the clock hanging from the walls that marked the hour.

"We should be getting back."

Though it was the last thing he wanted to do right now, Tamaki nodded.

"If you want, we can talk later tonight. Or tomorrow, it doesn't matter. You have my number, right?"

"Of course," Haruhi said, smiling. "And I may be busy studying for my history test tonight, but… well, I'd love to hear from you about what Ouran Academy is like. I bet it's amazing."

"I'll tell you everything you want to know," Tamaki said. The two started back down the hallway, trust their feet to guide them in the right direction.

"I may have a lot of questions. You know, there's this scholarship program I've been hearing about. It offers full tuition for Ouran once you reach High School. First, you have to pass some kind of exam."

"Then they should just give it you upfront," Tamaki said seriously. "It wouldn't be fair to put other students up against you. You'd be far too smart for them."

Though Haruhi rolled her eyes, she couldn't stop a small laugh. "That's not how it works, Senpai."

"That's how it should work. I'll talk to my father about that posthaste."

"I really hope you're still joking."

"Oh, I never joke, Haruhi. Whatever I say, I mean it one hundred percent!"

By the time they made it back to the club room, they were laughing and grinning like fools and no one had any idea why.

* * *

><p>Tamaki said goodbye to everyone individually.<p>

Ichirou pushed his way to the front, passed an unprepared and not at all amused Kurosawa and much less annoyed but still scowling Sato.

"You were the best crew member I've ever had," Ichirou tearfully said as he shook Tamaki's hand hard enough to rip it out of it's socket. "Next year's play will be like the walking dead without you."

"Geez, we were just taking out trash and stuff!" Kohaku shouted near the back. "Quit milking it!"

"Ichirou, I swear to you that I will attend every showing of every play you ever put on," Tamaki said. It would occur to him later how vague of a statement that was and how Ichirou could use it if he ever went into theater professionally. He stood by it.

"I'll hold you to that," Ichirou said. He gave Tamaki a final hug and then moved aside so Sato could give him a curt nod and mumble something under his breath.

Next up was Mutou, who did much of the same, but with the added bonus of another clap on the back. Tamaki was pretty sure he had a bruise there by now.

"You really are an okay guy, Suoh. Even if you did lie."

Kurosawa shook his head like Ichirou had, but much easier. Tamaki wanted to thank him right there for that alone.

"Look, I'm sorry about all the- you know- threatening you and stuff. It was just- I don't know. I was out of line."

"It's okay," Tamaki said. "I think there are some wonderful things in store for you, Kurosawa. You and Oshiro."

He smiled happily, even as Kurosawa backed up defensively and tried to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. Tamaki wasn't the only one to notice either. Oshiro was giggling at the sight of her boyfriend, even as she lightly hugged Tamaki around the waist.

"I'm going to miss you saying good morning to me every day," she said.

"I'm going to miss your lovely smile," Tamaki answered.

She answered with another hug and then walked back to Kurosawa. He sent Tamaki a quick glare, but wasn't fast enough that Oshiro didn't notice. She lightly swatted his shoulder.

His clubmates all stood together in the back when there turn arrived. Mei and Kasumi stood at opposite ends, Haruhi and Kohaku between them. Though his gaze lingered on Haruhi for just a moment, he opened his arms to all of them when they ran at him. A five person group hug was difficult, and Tamaki's wasn't entirely sure Kohaku could breathe with her face shoved so far into his chest, but he wasn't ready to let go yet. None of them were.

"You'd better come and visit," Mei all but shouted at him. "Every other day. I mean it."

"And call us too, whenever you can," Kohaku said.

"We need to go to the arcade again sometime," said Kasumi. "There are some two person games I think you'd really like."

"Even if you're not the President anymore, we should talk sometimes about how I can make the club better," Mei said.

"You'll always be the Pres in my eyes, no matter what," Kohaku said.

"…what's that supposed to mean?" Mei demanded of her.

Kohaku ignored her, and soon Mei gave up and went back to squeezing the life out of Tamaki with the rest of them.

"You're going to be great," Haruhi said in his ear. "I know you will."

Tamaki leaned his head a little against hers. "Not as great as you will be."

When they all let go, Tamaki's father was waiting by the gates to meet him. Not too far away was the limousine with several bodyguards standing around it. Katsuo-san was among them, and he nodded at Tamaki with a secret smile. Yuzuru winked and nodded at Tamaki's friends before turning to his son.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Almost…"

Tamaki turned his head distractedly. Haruhi stood not far off, and a little closer than the rest. Though she smiled, her eyes were sad. Tamaki felt something stab at his chest.

"I'll talk to you tonight," he called over, just loud enough so she would hear him, but soft enough that hopefully no one else would.

Haruhi rolled her eyes, exactly the response he was hoping for.

"_Tomorrow _night," she said firmly. She held up her book bag to make her point.

"Whatever you say."

He had time enough for one last look at the school building. It was never particularly large. The brochures he'd been given on his initial flight to Japan boasted a campus bigger than many colleges. He couldn't imagine anything so imposing. He'd had many doubts about this place on his first day, and now he couldn't believe this was the last time he'd walk out the doors as just another student. With his head held high, Tamaki silently said goodbye to Genkaku Junior High, and promised to never forget all that he had learned there.

Walking to the limousine, one of the suited men surrounding it stepped forward. He was much older looking than the rest of the men, closer to his father in age. His suit was also much more expensive looking, like it was tailor made just for him. He had a severe countenance that made Tamaki a tad uneasy. Even when he smiled, it only helped a little.

"Tamaki," Yuzuru said. "I'd like you to meet Yoshio Ootori, Katsuo-san's employer."

Tamaki's eyes went wide, and he instantly forgot any ill feelings this man might have given him. He gave the deepest bow he could without falling forward.

"Ootori-san, I'm honored to finally meet you. Thank you so much for all that you've done for my family."

"It was my pleasure," Ootori-san said in a business-like tone. "I trust Katsuo performed his job to your satisfaction?"

"Oh yes," Tamaki said, giving a rather noticeable thumbs up in Katsuo-san's direction. "He was the best guard anyone could ever have. If I may be so bold, I think a raise might be in order."

Katsuo-san started choking on his own spit, while Yuzuru looked like he might burst out laughing.

"Hmm, I will consider that," Yoshio said.

Another suited man opened the car door for Tamaki to step inside. He could see his Grandmother waiting inside, looking straight ahead and never greeting him even when he was inside and sitting next to her. For once, Tamaki didn't mind it, mostly because he was distracted by another person in the car, sitting across from them. He had a face that looked like Ootori-san's might have thirty years ago, complete with glasses. He lacked the man's facial hair, but that didn't make the relation any less obvious.

By now, Yuzuru and Ootori-san had slid inside, sitting beside their respective sons on the left.

"Tamaki-san, I'd like you to meet my son, Kyoya," Ootori-san said. "He'll be your guide on your first day at Ouran. Feel free to come to him if you have any questions."

Kyoya smiled in time with his father's words and held out a hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Suoh," he said smoothly.

Something went off in Tamaki's mind when Kyoya spoke to him. He sounded nice enough and there was no malice hidden beneath that he could detect. Maybe it was just how… rehearsed his greeting sounded. Tamaki cast a glance at Ootori-san, who watched his son with an analytical eye that didn't seem like the kind you'd behold your own child with. Tamaki wondered how this might go if it was just himself and Kyoya alone, or would he still be content to just put up a front?

Tamaki didn't know, but finding out was going to be very interesting.

"It's great to meet you too, Ootori. I can tell, you and I are going to become great friends."

He took Kyoya's hand and they shook.

* * *

><p><em><strong>From a terrible event came so many wonderful things. If I could speak to my mother right at this second, the first thing I'd do is tell her she was right. And then I would hug her and never let go.<strong>_

_**I'm starting at a new school once again. This time, I don't feel so afraid. I haven't had a single bad dream since the night of the play. Those fields are all lush and full of life, and if I listen carefully, I can hear the people I love laughing. If I run fast enough, I may catch up to them one night.**_

_**My name is Tamaki Suoh. I am and always will be a member of the Suoh family. Someday, I just might become head of the family, but no matter what happens to me tomorrow, or the next day, or next month, or next year, I know that right now, everything is going to fine.**_

_**And I know Haruhi was right. I'm going to do great at Ouran.**_

* * *

><p>"So, Tamaki-san. High school is just around the corner. Have you given any thought to what classes you'll be taking?"<p>

"I'm not sure about that yet… but, I think I might start a club."


	14. Epilogue: Host Club

**A/N: So I finished writing chapter 13, thought about taking a break for a while before writing the epilogue, but then I didn't feel like it. So I wrote half of the epilogue then and the other half just now. Go me! :D**

**I can't believe this story is finally over. Really, whenever I finish a story that I've been working on for as long as this one, it feels like something special. There are ideas and scenes that I've sat with for so long, and now I've finally written them all down. I just hope they were as entertaining to you as I've always hoped they would be.**

**I hope you'll continue to follow my other fics, Fragments, Absolute Ouran and SM: Second Life. The latter two have been on hiatus for some time now while I finish other things, but I have been working on all of my in-progress stories, of that I can assure you.**

**So, with all that said, thank you all for reading Commoner Club.**

* * *

><p><strong>TWO YEARS LATER<strong>

Ouran Academy was even bigger than she expected it to be, and that was saying something.

It wasn't her first time there, of course. She had gone on her own to submit her scholarship application and then with her father to sign up for classes. This was her first time there as a student, and Haruhi would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit nervous.

It didn't help that she already appeared to be ostracized. She didn't know if it was the bulky sweater her Grandfather had once owned or the glasses she'd been wearing ever since she lost her spare contact lenses last week. She really didn't care, she just wished that the tall kid and the disproportionately short boy he sat with would stop looking at her funny when she crossed the quad. The shorter one even whispered in his friend's ear.

"I think that's her. She's different than I expected."

_'What did you expect?'_ she wanted to ask. _'I came here to study, not to impress anyone.'_

It made her want to get to the office as quickly as possible. She'd waded through a sea of rich kids chatting about the same silly this and that the kids in middle school had been so enthralled by. Their language was a teensy bit more refined, but that amounted to all the differences. There were brown and black heads everywhere she looked, and Haruhi wasn't a very tall person, so she'd been craning her neck up a lot this morning. It wasn't that she was actively seeking out that familiar head of yellow, and even if it was, it wasn't because she wanted to have at least one person she knew around to talk to.

She walked on carpets that somehow stayed spotless with a hundred kids running up and down them, pasted pillared walls and enormous doors that lead to rooms that had to be ballrooms. It looked like Mei was right, Ouran was going to be a different world.

Haruhi wasn't bothered, however. It may have been a wealthy school with wealthy students, but it was still just a high school and they were all just high school students. A couple of gawkers were never going to be enough to scare her off.

Haruhi got to the main office and knocked politely before pulling open the door. According to the acceptance letter she'd been sent, there would be a fellow student waiting for her to show her around the campus. She didn't know what to expect from whatever classmate she'd been assigned. They might be pompous, they might be ditzy, they might be completely normal.

The one thing she didn't think they'd be was exactly the person she'd been waiting to see.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki screamed her name like it was that of a beloved princess. "I haven't seen you in so long. It feels like forever!"

'_It's only been a few months,' _Haruhi thought to herself. _'And you call me every week.'_

Tamaki was just as Haruhi remembered, if not taller and with a little more muscle when he pulled her into a tight hug and spun her around once or twice. His eyes sparkled with an almost childish glee that she didn't realize she missed so much until now.

"Tamaki-senpai," she said with some difficulty. "What are you doing here? You're not even in my grade."

"Oh pish-posh, Haruhi," he said as he let her go and moved back to get a better look at her. "Do you honestly think I'd miss the opportunity to welcome yo- oh- OH MY GOD YOUR HAIR!"

He slammed back against the wall in horror, pointing one trembling finger at Haruhi, while she just stood there blinking.

"My… hair?" She put a hand on her head.

"Your _hair_, Haruhi. What happened to your _hair_?"

Haruhi blinked again, and then it all clicked. "Oh, you mean my haircut. I honestly forgot about that. There's this kid on my block, Hiro, and he got some gum stuck in my hair yesterday. It really hard to get gum out of long hair, so I just cut it all off. No big deal."

"NO BIG DEAL?" Tamaki screamed. Haruhi glanced at the, thankfully empty, receptionist's desk and wondered how many classes Tamaki was disturbing right now while he yelled so loud. "Don't just shrug this off, Haruhi!"

He moaned and sunk against her, his body going lax. Haruhi had to step back a little to accommodate, but he was at least being careful not to put any of his weight on her. After another few seconds of silent mourning, Tamaki lifted his head.

"Well, I suppose with a little trimming and hairspray, you could find a way to make it work."

He brushed a piece of hair out of her face, his finger making contact with the skin of her forehead. Haruhi had to admit it felt nice.

"I think I'm already starting to like it… but we have to do something about those clothes."

The mood was killed in an instant.

"What? What's wrong with this?" Haruhi pulled at the sides of her sweater.

Tamaki brought a hand to his chin and paced around her thoughtfully.

"No, this won't do at all. But don't worry, Haruhi. There is a large collection of spare uniforms in the back room right over there. Go on in an pick one out. They're all school owned, so you don't have to pay for it."

He threw open the door and pushed her inside before she could object and closed it behind her. She heard him stepping away and sitting down somewhere off to the side. He called out to that she should take her time and he didn't mind waiting. Haruhi pursed her lips. He hadn't changed at all.

With a sigh, Haruhi walked along the endless racks of blue blazers and yellow dresses, shifting through the various sizes.

Ten minutes later, Haruhi opened the door and stepped out. Her old sweater was neatly folded in her arms, to be stored away in her locker. She had to admit, this school uniform fit her like a glove, and the material was extra comfortable. Tamaki had his head turned when she walked out, but she could feel his excitement in the air itself.

"Oh, I bet you look so adorable," he gushed. "Let me have a lo-URGH!"

He flew back like a projectile once again. It was starting to lose it's novelty. His eyes were everywhere at once, taking in her polished shoes, black pants and blue blazer with the Ouran emblem encrusted over the breast pocket.

"There weren't any girls uniforms in my size," Haruhi casually explained. "Now, I think you're supposed to be showing me around the school. And then to my first class?"

Tamaki peeled himself out of the chair, pale as a ghost, and shuffled to the door.

"Okay, let's get started," he said in a daze. He generally had the air of someone who didn't believe they'd ever be happy again.

He'd be his old peppy self again by the time they got to the science labs.

* * *

><p>Haruhi's first class of the day was homeroom, but her second was where things started to get interesting. She could already see a stark difference between the teaching styles of the Ouran professors, as opposed to the teachers at Genkaku. This teacher had them taking a pop quiz first thing to see what they'd retained from Junior high. Haruhi concentrated on the problems at hand, adding up probabilities and diving fractions with an ease built from hours of devouring math textbooks. When the professor walked by to assess their work, he may have even smiled at her in approval, or maybe Haruhi just imagined that.<p>

What she didn't imagine, though, was the voices behind her that whispered incessantly.

"I guess it's really her. Funny how she's dressed as a guy."

"He said that we should keep an eye out for her. You think he'd mind if we gave her the head's up?"

"The Boss won't like it…"

"I know, so we should definitely do it."

"Without a doubt."

When Haruhi had enough, she twisted herself all the way around and found herself glaring at a pair of identical redheads. She didn't know yet which voice had come from which, and they had since gone quiet. They flashed her cat-like grins and winked in unison. Then, their heads went down and they were back to work like any other diligent and hard-working students. Haruhi watched them for another minute longer and then slowly turned back around.

She didn't think she'd ever understand these rich kids.

* * *

><p>Haruhi sat on the pink painted stones beneath the fence and waited. Her last class of the day had let out fifteen minutes ago. What students hadn't driven off in one of the limousines parked in a never ending line outside were holed up in one of the four incredible libraries or starting up their first club meetings and sports practices. Haruhi checked her watch. An hour and a half to go. She wasn't used to taking the later train home and it would be getting dark by the time it got in. What on earth could Tamaki want that he'd ask her to stay late like this?<p>

Well, 'asked' wasn't really the appropriate word. Right before leaving her in front of her first classroom, Tamaki had pretty much ordered her to wait outside after school because he had a 'surprise' for her.

"I don't want to hear any arguments. As your club President, I command you."

And then he turned and walked away before Haruhi could remind him that he wasn't her club president anymore.

Against her better judgment, she'd gone along with his request. Call it sentiment, but she was honestly really curious as to what he wanted. She'd tried several times to figure it out. Knowing Tamaki, it could be anything. Whatever he had come up with was bound to be beyond anything she could think of. The only lead she had was something he'd told her over the phone a few months ago. Something about a club he had started. Maybe this had something to do with that. She regretted now never asking him what kind of club it was. Come to think about it, why hadn't he ever told her himself?

Haruhi was pondering this when she heard her name being called.

"Haruhi!"

It was coming not from the school, but the street leading up to it. Haruhi lifted her head, catching sight of a group of people running towards her. She recognized them all right away, even though she hadn't seen half of them since their graduations last year. Mei, Kohaku and Kasumi were the faster, and they were hugging Haruhi to death by the time Oshiro, Kurosawa, Mutou, Sato and Ichirou arrived on the spot.

"God, Haruhi, I've missed you so much!" Mei said, rubbing their cheeks together. "Please tell me you haven't caught any second hand snobbishness off all the rich kids already."

"Please tell _me_ you've made friends with some important political figure's kids," Kohaku piped in. "And please _please_ tell me they aren't liberals."

"Guys, it's only my first day!" Haruhi cried.

They kept hold of her until she almost toppled over. Then Kasumi let go and started pulling the other two off as well.

"Come on now, before you kill her."

Mei pouted childishly, but acquiesced. Haruhi quickly regained her bearings and brushed herself off. She started to ask the one big question on her mind, when Ichirou whistled.

"Geez, Haruhi, what did you do to yourself?" he asked, motioning up and down at her.

Haruhi run a hand through her hair and shrugged. She was still getting used to the lighter weight of it.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you all about it after you guys tell me what you're doing here."

"Well isn't it obvious?" Sato asked. "Suoh invited us."

"Yeah, he said he wanted to show us all around his big fancy academy," Kurosawa boredly stated. "I would have said no, but Akiko-chan wanted to come."

He put an arm around Oshiro, who rolled her eyes and pressed a hand into his chest.

"You wanted to see Suoh again and you know it," she said snidely.

Kurosawa looked away, but didn't deny it.

"It's true, we haven't seen him much since that big graduation party he threw for us," Mutou said.

He seemed a little more despondent than usual. Haruhi recalled Mei telling her something about his 'kind of sort of' girlfriend Konimi calling it off for good. He appeared he was still getting over it. Haruhi decided she wouldn't ask any questions.

"Well, we'd be seeing him a lot more if the C.O.B. wasn't always getting in the way," Ichirou said.

"The C.O.B.?" Kasumi asked.

All the guys and Kohaku smirked at her.

"Crazy Old Bitch," Sato elaborated. "You know, Suoh's Grandma."

"You guys call her the C.O.B.?" Haruhi asked, not sure if she should laugh or groan.

Kohaku shrugged. "It's better than the first name they came up with: the C.O.C."

Kasumi furrowed her brow. "Crazy Old… you guys are awful."They started laughing, until there were tears in their eyes and the few people walking around outside the gates stopped to give them weird looks. Nobody besides Haruhi and Kasumi appeared to notice them. Kasumi flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, come on, like you've never thought it even once," Ichirou said.

"Okay, okay, we can sit here and talk about Suoh's rotten Grandmother all day," Mei said, strutting with her hands on her hips towards the main school building. "But first we've got to actually find Suoh. We'd better do it fast, too. I want to see what kind of awesome stuff and hot guys are in there."

She grinned a Cheshire cat grin that reminded Haruhi distinctly of those weird twins from her class. Another student walked through the gates just then. He looked different from all the other kids Haruhi had seen thus far. His uniform jacket was worn open, and his shirt was wrinkled and in need of a washing. He had deep red hair in a topknot and a very mean face, even before he realized he was being watched and sent a heated glare in their direction. Kohaku squeaked and backed away, as did Kasumi. Mei, however, wasn't having any of it.

"Hey! Who do you think you're looking at, Pal? Why don't you take a picture."

The boy started, gaping at Mei like nobody had ever spoken to him like that before. She made like she was about to pounce, and the boy took the hint and started walking again, much faster this time.

"Hmph, shows how tough he is," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Think you could find out who he is for me later, Haruhi?"

A ringing in Mei's pocket ended the conversation, along with the ringing in everyone else's pockets or book bags which, all together, sounded like a bizarre symphony of cell phone jingles. Mei whipped her pink painted phone out and clicked some buttons. Everyone else did the same, while Haruhi waited awkwardly for someone to speak. She was starting to think she should start saving up for a cell phone of her own.

"Okay, I'm guessing I'm not the only one who just got a text message from Tamaki," Mei said.

A general affirmative murmur rose through the air.

"What did he say?" asked Haruhi.

"He wants us to come see him in the third music room," Sato said, shrugging. "Whatever that means."

"Why he felt the need to say it all in caps with so many exclamation points, I don't have a clue," said Kurosawa.

"I'd kind of like to take that tour of the school we were promised first," Ichirou said innocently. "You know, just so we have all the time afterwards to spend with Tamaki."

"I guess that makes sense," Mutou agreed.

The group soon divided into two, with some ready to go and see the campus, and others heading off to the area Tamaki had designated. Haruhi found herself among the latter group, trying her best to guide their way through the hallways. From the three times now that she'd been inside, she had an idea of how to get from the main doors to the principal's office, the closest library, and the cafeteria, but little else. This was a part of the school she'd never set foot in. It was starting to feel like a miracle that she even could get around where she could.

"Man, how much further?" Mei whined. She stretched out her arms in a yawn. "Couldn't he have put his secret club somewhere closer to the doors?"

"What kind of club do you think it is anyway?" Haruhi asked.

"Knowing Pres, it'll be something way better than what Mei came up with," said Kohaku.

"I heard that!"

They continued to bicker, silently as per Kasumi's shushing, until a large pair of double doors came into view, with a sign hanging out that made Haruhi stop in her tracks.

"There it is."

She pointed at the door, and heard Mei cry out in relief before she took off running.

"Hey, come on!" Kohaku shouted.

She followed after Mei, with Kasumi and Haruhi at her back. She was the last one to arrive, thanks to her lack of attention to physical education, but she caught her breath fast and placed a hand on the door. Everyone else watched her intently, Mei nodding as to wordlessly egg her on. Haruhi looked at the door. It was as pink and pristine as everything else in the school. The room would probably be the same, with a little twist to it that would be unmistakably Tamaki.

She turned the knob without another thought. The door swung open…

And a barrage of roses hit them.

"What the hell?"

And Haruhi was lucky Kohaku was around to voice her thoughts for her.

The roses, and the weird pinkish white tint that came with them, faded away to reveal six young men all crowded together. Haruhi didn't know what to think when all those people who'd spent the day watching her, the tall one, the small one, the twins, all smiled back at her startled and confused face. With them was another boy she'd never seen before, with black hair and glasses whose demeanor made him look like he'd be more in place lording over underlings in a corporate setting, but who smiled all the same. They stood around a throne like chair with red velvet upholstery, and seated upon it-

"You know, we have had many Princesses come to us in the short time since we've opened for business," Tamaki said smoothly. He lifted one long leg off the other and stood, walking to them, seemingly unfazed by the dawning confusion on all their faces.

"But I can honestly say, I've never been happier to see four such lovely faces," he said.

He took all of their hands in turn and brought them lightly to his lips. Mei was first, then Kasumi, then Kohaku. He stopped in front of Haruhi, and he laced his fingers into hers, and stood just a little closer to her than he had the rest. Tamaki never let go, even when making a sweeping gesture at the picturesque tables and chairs set up all around the room with flowers everywhere, and his friends all still in place. Haruhi found that she didn't mind.

"Ladies," Tamaki said. "Let me be the first to welcome you all to the Ouran Host Club."

**THE END**


End file.
